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Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Should black, white colleges merge?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee, state Sen. Seth Harp (R-Midland) thinks he’s found a way to save money: Consolidate some public colleges.
Harp’s proposal does more than just chafe against the usual sentimental attachments to familiar institutions. It also touches the raw nerve of race. Given the suspicions that linger on both sides of the color line, his plan— which suggests merging two historically black colleges with two traditionally white schools — is sure to spark drawn-out debate, fevered protests and intemperate accusations.
No matter. Harp has the right idea: There is no good reason to maintain separate but equal public facilities in close proximity. Following that reasoning, he has asked the University System to consider consolidating historically black Savannah State University with nearby Armstrong Atlantic State University and historically black Albany State University with Darton College, a two-year institution in Albany.
Already, the suggestion has drawn criticism. State Sen. Vincent Fort, (D-Atlanta), a college lecturer, dismissed it as “a bad idea.” A similar proposal died a quick death 25 years ago, after then-Gov. Joe Frank Harris proposed merging black and white colleges to speed up court-ordered desegregation. But now that dire economic circumstances have forced the idea back onto the table, let’s not let this crisis go to waste. Use the opportunity to remove the last vestiges of Jim Crow from the University System.
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