President’s reference to ‘Three-Fifths Compromise’ galvanizes Emory

“One instance of constitutional compromise was the agreement to count three-fifths of the slave population for purposes of state representation in Congress. Southern delegates wanted to count the whole slave population, which would have given the South greater influence over national policy. Northern delegates argued that slaves should not be counted at all, because they had no vote. As the price for achieving the ultimate aim of the Constitution — ‘to form a more perfect union’ — the two sides compromised on this immediate issue of how to count slaves in the new nation. Pragmatic half-victories kept in view the higher aspiration of drawing the country more closely together.

“Some might suggest that the constitutional compromise reached for the lowest common denominator — for the barest minimum value on which both sides could agree. I rather think something different happened. Both sides found a way to temper ideology and continue working toward the highest aspiration they both shared — the aspiration to form a more perfect union. They set their sights higher, not lower, in order to identify their common goal and keep moving toward it.”

Here is part of his apology:

“A number of people have raised questions regarding part of my essay in the most recent issue of Emory Magazine. Certainly, I do not consider slavery anything but heinous, repulsive, repugnant, and inhuman. I should have stated that fact clearly in my essay. I am sorry for the hurt caused by not communicating more clearly my own beliefs. To those hurt or confused by my clumsiness and insensitivity, please forgive me.”

Outrage and confusion are swirling at Emory University over a column written by its president in which he used the notorious “Three-Fifths Compromise” as an example on how leaders reach agreements.

The 1787 compromise, reached in creating the U.S. Constitution, counted slaves as three-fifths of a person for the purposes of distributing funds back to states and determining representation in Congress.

Emory President James Wagner wrote that the compromise shows how people from opposing viewpoints can work together. He has since apologized for “clumsiness and insensitivity” and said it was a mistake to use it as an example.

The column was published in Emory Magazine a couple of weeks ago, but it caused uproar on Twitter and blogs starting Saturday. Wagner issued his apology the next day and described the compromise as “repugnant” and slavery as “heinous, repulsive, repugnant and inhuman.”

While some have called for Wagner to resign, most were shocked and dismayed that a college president would write something that offensive.

“It was a terrible misfire,” said Mark Auslander, an anthropology professor at Central Washington University who taught at Emory and wrote about the college’s racial history. “Jim Wagner has a significant track record for work on social justice and issues with racism and slavery, but even for us who admire and support him, that letter is just baffling and even incomprehensible.”

Faculty in the history and African-American studies departments wrote to Wagner and said his essay was “an insult to the descendants of those enslaved people who are today a vital part of the Emory University community and our nation.”

They didn’t call on Wagner to step down and didn’t think he intended any harm. But they said more work is needed.

“This is a time for more than an apology,” said history professor Leslie Harris, who signed the letter. “There needs to be deep soul-searching as an institution and as people at this institution. He needs to do soul-searching about his legacy here.”

Jovonna Jones, the president of Emory’s Black Student Alliance, forgives Wagner, saying it takes too much energy to harbor anger. She wants to see what he will do next to address students’ concerns.

“I want to see how we can grow as a community,” she said. “The only way to combat ignorance is by engagement.”

Emory has openly discussed race during Wagner’s tenure as president, which began in 2003.

Harris leads the Transforming Community Project, which started in 2005 to promote open conversations about race after several racial incidents involving faculty and students. The small group discussions have covered race, gender, sexuality and the Middle East conflict.

In 2011 the university released a statement of regret over its involvement with slavery and held a conference that examined the role of slavery at American colleges.

Still, the college community has been roiling since September, when leaders announced cuts in the College of Arts and Sciences that some say will hurt minority students and threaten academic quality. About one-third of Emory’s students classify themselves as minorities.

Emory is closing its educational studies division, its physical education department, its visual arts department and its journalism program. It’s also suspending admissions to the graduate programs in Spanish, economics and the Institute of Liberal Arts.

The graduate programs produce a high number of minority degree holders at the university, said Sharon Strocchia, the president of the Emory chapter of the American Association of University Professors, and eliminating them will have a disproportionate effect on minority students.

Wagner’s column addressed the cuts, saying Emory also needs to compromise because it can’t afford to do everything it wants. He wrote about the fear of compromise, noting the current polarization in Washington.

He also wrote:

One instance of constitutional compromise was the agreement to count three-fifths of the slave population for purposes of state representation in Congress. Southern delegates wanted to count the whole slave population, which would have given the South greater influence over national policy. Northern delegates argued that slaves should not be counted at all, because they had no vote. As the price for achieving the ultimate aim of the Constitution — “to form a more perfect union” — the two sides compromised on this immediate issue of how to count slaves in the new nation. Pragmatic half-victories kept in view the higher aspiration of drawing the country more closely together.

Some might suggest that the constitutional compromise reached for the lowest common denominator — for the barest minimum value on which both sides could agree. I rather think something different happened. Both sides found a way to temper ideology and continue working toward the highest aspiration they both shared — the aspiration to form a more perfect union. They set their sights higher, not lower, in order to identify their common goal and keep moving toward it.

Emory is discussing what changes may be needed to the magazine’s editorial process, spokeswoman Nancy Seideman said.

Wagner, meanwhile, apologized again when he met with faculty Tuesday during their regular council meeting. He has declined to make additional comments.

But the situation remains far from resolved. Students are planning a protest for Feb. 27.