Obama launches African-American education initiative

US President Barack Obama last week announced an initiative that he said will give African-American students greater access to "a complete and competitive education” from birth to when they get a career, reports CNN.

Speaking last Wednesday night at a National Urban League gathering in New Orleans, Obama said he had issued an executive order establishing the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans, saying: "A higher education in a 21st century cannot be a luxury. It is a vital necessity that every American should be able to afford."

He added that his administration is "pushing all colleges and universities" to cut their costs. The president focused the bulk of his comments on the economy, saying his tax policies and economic plans aim to boost the middle class.
Full report on the CNN site