Seth Harp found an unlikely ally in his quest to close two Georgia colleges, but he still faces an uphill fight.
When Georgia Republican Senator Seth Harp first floated his proposal to merge two of the state’s historically Black colleges with two majority Whites campuses, he won tacit approval from one of the most unlikely places possible: the African American editorial leader of the state’s flagship newspaper, Cynthia Tucker of The Atlanta Journal & Constitution.
In her column, Tucker says Harp has the right idea.
“…There is no good reason to maintain separate but equal public facilities in close proximity,” Tucker wrote. “…Many black educators continue to insist that historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) provide a nurturing environment that some Black students desperately need. However, de facto segregation isn’t required to give those students remedial studies, small class sizes and attentive teachers, all of which are also available at many diverse two-year colleges.
“More likely, Black college administrators and alumni are worried about losing a sense of history and identity bound up with institutions that have educated generations of Black students,” she continues. “Savannah State and Albany State each have fraternities and sororities, sports teams, bands and clubs that have played an active role in the lives of students and the surrounding communities.”
To be fair, Harp wants to close down the White campuses, and merge them into the historically Black campuses. But some Black college administrators and alumni – who are against Harp’s proposal – still worry the Black schools will lose a sense of history. But “…instead of fighting to preserve the status quo,” Tucker suggests supporters of the Black colleges “should work to create new institutions that provide a nurturing environment for all students.”
