Joseph Fowler

WMF 8:00-8:50

Dr. Michael Gagnon

HIST 3090

Dissolving the Differences

Slavery was one of the founding principles of the American colonies. It remained after America’s independence as their means of production of agricultural crops to further international trade. This institution was so highly regarded that those enslaved were generalized as lesser human being who, if not enslaved, would be unable to care for themselves and be productive in any civilized way. These gross prejudices were a major catalyst for the South’s balking at the idea of emancipating these people and thus succeeded from the Union as a result. After the South’s defeat in the Civil War, those in power sought to retain white supremacy over those newly freed. Laws and ordinances were put into place to prohibit African Americans from enjoying all the freedoms that came with being an American. To this end, when the Supreme Court’s ruling of Brown v. Board of Education rejected the idea of separate but equal education of whites and African Americans, few doubted the large scale possibilities that could occur in the country. The fact that it would take longer than a decade to fully realize the ruling, it is fair to say that the desegregation of American schools was a very tumultuous period.

The Court’s decision would have varying effects from state to state and county to county. Not just in the South, but eighteen states would have to change the way their school systems had worked for decades. While there were some situations that garnered national attention for the ugliness and fervor for which integration was fought, there were also those that had no conflict at all. It is this large discrepancy in how people reacted that makes some curious about the actions in their own communities in which segregation occurred. Monroe County, which is deep in the heart of Georgia, is one such area. Though not a prominent region by any means, the county has always valued education almost since its formation, though so is its separation of white and African American students. It is this history as well as the changes from stubbornness to a rally for the community to come together that make the integration of Monroe County unique.

It is important to get a sense of how the educational system of Monroe County formed in order to better view the road that paved the way to how things become. The very first schools required students to pay tuition to attend. This was a means of support, not of exclusion, as the county could not provide the funds to supply free public education due to lack of state money. In 1891, a measure was passed which would test a tax-supported school system in the city of Forsyth alone. The rest of the county was severely under-funded and over crowded. Classes would meet in the homes of those who taught them, churches, and other building that would allow it. This was especially true for African American students who, in 1901, occupied forty-one schools for the 3,326 enrolled students while 1,648 white students filled forty schools. In 1905, another measure was passed to divide the county into districts and collect taxes from each to fund the local schools.[1]

For the next fifty years, schools were consolidated until fewer and fewer remained, although white schools did so at a quicker rate then African American schools. It is the period after taxes began funding public education that the degree of separation between the educational quality for white and black students became more apparent. To compensate for the lack of state aid, African American schools received money through a grant created by Julius Rosenwald to better education and improve race relations. However, more and more white schools were constructed with more rooms and better supplies, not to mention the availability of busing, while black children were continually stowed away in small, tightly packed homes and buildings. In 1930, there were still thirty-eight schools Negro schools and in 1952 twenty-one separated schools remained. It was in this same year that consolidation for the “Negro schools” was approved but only because, “It is believed that since all needs for the white schools have been supplied, sufficient funds from the state can be secured to finance the improvements for the Negroes.” Though not overtly racist, the announcement implicitly shows African American education is far behind that of white children. Financial records further this point as 15,125 dollars were spent for white school’s library and teaching supplies in 1952 while African American schools were only budgeted 3,600.[2]

When the ruling for Brown v. Board of Education was handed down, there was little reaction in Monroe County. The Monroe County Board of Education announced it would continue with its plans for building a new school for African American students but had no plans for integration. Public opinion remained where it had for the last fifty years, and since the Supreme Court’s decision had not included the conditions for integration, what extent it was to occur, or even when, little was done. One official even remarked that it would take half a century for Georgia to integrate if then. There was no backlash against the African American community either. The plans for the new school continued and, in 1955, all African American children were schooled at Hubbard School.[3]

While the Civil Rights Movement progressed throughout the nation in the 1960’s, the integration of schools had still not been completely accomplished in most of the nation’s segregated school districts. The same would hold true in Monroe County. White schools continued to be consolidated along with the construction of new buildings on these campuses. However, as the decade continued, it became ever more evident that integration would occur. Though there was no public outcry in the newspaper or other media, there are suspicions of agendas designed to continue segregation. One such is the building of a new private school just one mile from the Mary Persons campus that would integrate in the next few years. In 1966, a small group of business men in the Monroe County area came together to discuss plans for the building of Monroe Academy to be paid for through student tuition rather than state funds. Plans were finalized, land bought, and the school opened for its first term in September of 1966. School enrollment grew every year for the first few and then increased drastically in 1969, just a year before segregation. Records show that enrollment nearly doubled in that year but Monroe Academy experienced their greatest increase in 1970, when the number of students who enrolled did double. These new students not only included children from inside the county, but also those from neighboring areas. Although documentation could not be found which verified the racial or ethnic backgrounds of students during this time, current statistics show Monroe Academy’s African American students compose only one percent of their enrollment.[4]

The integration of all public schools in Monroe County finally began in January 1970 after a federal court ordered all schools desegregated by the beginning of the school term in September. The Monroe County Board of Education met in a special meeting and began creating a system that would best integrate the students and faculty of each system. The proposed plan, which would be presented to a federal court for approval, would involve converting the four public schools, three white and one black, currently in the county into two large campuses; one at Hubbard School for first grade to sixth grade and another at Mary Persons for seventh through twelfth grades. An alternate plan would have randomly selected students and teachers to place in the opposite school system. Though this was the least amount of integration required, the plan was ultimately rejected due to the temporary status this would hold as yearly evaluations would more than likely necessitate almost constant changes. The idea of closing all public schools, due to lack of state and federal funds which would be withheld until all county public schools were integrated, was brought up but not seriously considered.[5]

After the School Board held its meeting, the Monroe County PTA scheduled its next three meetings to all center around preparation for integration. The 1970 February meeting would include a presentation of the proposed integration plan which was followed by an open floor questioning of the panel by citizens and parents. The March meeting focused on a program to promote understanding among students, their parents, and others in the community. A third meeting in April covered the idea of a program called the Minimum Foundation Program for Georgia Schools. This program was an attempt to ensure minimum educational opportunities for all students in the state. The Monroe Advertiser, the county’s main local newspaper at this time, called for anyone involved at all with the school to attend these meetings and hear the information first hand. The paper believed that “Monroe County Schools need the support of all parents and school patrons,” because the current needs are “more critical now than it ever has been.”[6]

A slight stumbling block was hit in the integration when the plan sent to the federal court was changed. The change, at the request of persons from both white and black school systems, proposed that eleven teachers be transferred between systems and that students then be given the freedom to choose which school they attend for the school term. This plan was found to be unacceptable by the federal court as it left too much chance for intimidation and other barriers that would not allow whites and African Americans to share a school system.[7]

Two months later in March 1970, a new plan resembling the plan which was not sent, made its way to the federal court. After some confusion over letters sent by officials and articles in different newspapers, the plan was deemed acceptable but left room for the possibility of minor adjustments. This signified the integration of the Monroe County school systems. Barriers such as transportation were non-factors, both school systems already bused their students to Forsyth so routing changes were little trouble to alter. When the doors opened for the school year of 1970-71, 2,572 students along with 96 teachers came together to form a unified Monroe County public school system. A few building on the campuses were closed but some of these were later reopened to create more room for the increased number of students, such as the Banks Stephens building. The process was very smooth, with few incidents of consequence. The public in general did not appear outraged. In fact, one editorial response to the Advertiser rebuked the paper for reporting on little occurrences that had no real substance, specifically mentioning the paper covering complaints of too crowded hallways which interfered with socializing in attempts to make it to class on time.[8]

It is these facts that provide for an example of a Southern community that took the events of desegregation in stride as possible. The generalization of cross-burnings and riots in the streets does not apply to every integrated school system. This is not to say that incidents did not happen, but that they were not the deep seated hatred seen in nationally covered events. Every county that integrated has its own story, though some are not as exciting as others. Many areas used Brown v. Board of Education as the reason to finally integrate, not because they had to but because it was time to. Monroe County was in fact not completely segregated as there were African American children who went to “white” schools and vice versa. It is these small variations from county to county and state to state that afford every communities claims to historical value in their stories, each of which should be heard.

Web Sites of Interest

Our Georgia History: The Road to Integration

New Georgia Encyclopedia

CivilRights.org