Desegregation in Georgia School Systems
Lucye Jordan
April 5, 2004
Professor Michael Gagnon
History 3090
Covington, Georgia is a small community between Atlanta and Monticello and is located in Newton County. Following the integration of schools, the racial tensions in this town reached an all time high. After the passing of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, not much was done in Covington until the late sixties for many different reasons. This was true for many of Georgia communities. In defiance of Brown v. Board of Education, The Georgia School Board required public school teachers to sign a pledge that they would not teach in integrated schools in 1955 or they would lose their teaching license. This was the first attempt to slow the process of desegregation, and it worked for a while because teachers were afraid they would lose their teaching jobs. The pledge gave them no reason to think that they would be unemployed if they refused to sign the pledge:
“BE IT RESOLVED by the State Board of Education duly assembled in the State Capitol on this eleventh day of July, 1955, that any teacher licensed to teach in the public schools of the State of Georgia who supports, encourages, condones, or agrees to teach in a mixed grade shall have his or her license and salary automatically forfeited, and the same shall not be renewed for a period of two years from the date of forfeit.”1
This pledge undermined everything that had been accomplished by Brown v. Board of Education. Luckily, this pledge was soon rescinded when the State Board of Education realized that the pledge could not be forced on teachers because it was in direct conflict with the intent of Brown v. Board of Education and teachers were no longer in danger of losing their jobs if they taught at an integrated school.
Another argument that people had in the South was that it appeared that citizens of the community, both black and white, were perfectly happy having two different high schools. Truthfully, most of the black school systems were in much worse condition that the white schools. Because of disparities between the schools, the courts began to push, however, and it became evident that the schools would have to be integrated to ensure quality of education. The Attorney General was filing lawsuits to speed up process of integration, and it became clear that Newton County and all other counties in Georgia would have to comply.2
Despite growing pressures, Newton County once more attempted to avoid the inevitable. During the 1966-67 school year, a program called Freedom of Choice was implemented. Freedom of Choice allowed the students to decide which school they would attend. As a result, very few black children decided to enter the white high school, and these were all from affluent families. No white children chose to attend the black high school.3
This lasted until 1970, which is when the schools were finally fully integrated. When this happened, co-principals were placed in each school, one white one black to please everyone. There were not enough black teachers to balance out the ratio at first, so black teachers were brought in from Atlanta.4
Many others came from Atlanta, such as militant black groups who stood outside the Board of Education and made threats on the superintendent. There were also white groups rallying outside, which made for a situation that could easily have gotten out of hand. Newton County officials brought in the Georgia State Patrol from Atlanta to watch the situation until it calmed down.5
There were some problems in the schools, also. A few students brought weapons to school. There was even a case of a very aggressive student from New York that was thought to have been “placed there by the agitators”, or the militant black groups that resisted associating with white people. He would “accidentally” run into white teachers in the hallways, and was eventually asked to return to where he had come from.6
However, as the years passed, the citizens of Covington slowly began to accept and grow accustomed to an integrated school system.7
The Jasper County School system began to be integrated in 1969, fifteen years after Brown v. Board of Education was passed. Mr. W. Phil Jordan was the chairman of the school board during the tumultuous years of segregating the schools in Jasper County, which is where Monticello is located. Two members of the school board, Mr. Jordan and Mr. E. C. Kelly, and Doy Gay, the superintendent, traveled to Atlanta in 1970 to hear Leon Panetta speak. He was sent from Washington to enforce the court order in Georgia.8
The court order was filed in the clerk’s office on December 17, 1969 and it addressed all 92 counties in Georgia. Any county that refused to acknowledge the court order would lose state funding altogether. The order addresses that “dual school systems must be completely abolished.”9
This court order was the final act of the government, and it removed all attempts to stall integration. The government was literally laying down the law.
Many of Monticello’s citizens were concerned that the white people would leave the public school system and form private schools. Concerned members of the community formed CAPE (Concerned Advocates of Public Education) to support the public schools of Jasper County and act as a go-between for the black and white communities. The white people of Jasper County were convinced to support public schools out of regard for the less fortunate in their community who could not afford private school tuition.10
CAPE had several different committees that each dealt with a certain issue. For example, high school football has always been a big source of pride to everyone in Monticello, so one committee discussed the football teams and how they would converge. The black high school had a football team, and their colors were yellow and their mascot was an Indian. The white high school had a much more organized football team, and they were the Purple Hurricanes. Many counties in Georgia had problems with this issue, such as what would the new team be named. Most counties simply made up a new mascot and colors to please everyone. In Jasper County, however, the Purple Hurricanes had been a very successful football team over the years, and to the relief of many, the black football players wanted to call themselves Purple Hurricanes. The combined team was very successful throughout the years.11
There were several problems with the integration of the schools in Jasper County. One was that some of the black students were not on the same level as some of the white students, simply because the teaching methods were different at each of the schools. Mr. Jordan said that some black students graduated that were not fully prepared, but that once the children in younger grades got up to high school, everyone that was in the same grade was at about the same educational level, and the difference in levels was no longer a problem. Another difficulty was that there was some tension between the white and black students. He said that there were several violent situations, but the teachers and administration handled them all without major incident. Many of the white citizens were very against having their children in school with black students, but many black people felt the same way towards white people. The leaders of each community worked together to help ease the racial tensions, and then these leaders went to their respective communities and attempted to convince people to open their minds. This worked some of the time, and some of the time it did not. It is very difficult to change ideals that communities have held for hundreds of years.12
Many of the members of CAPE were members of the local Presbyterian Church, which adopted a resolution that was written by W. Phil Jordan. Not only was this resolution adopted in Monticello, but it was presented before the entire Presbytery of Augusta-Macon and adapted there, also.13
A letter was also sent out to the entire Presbytery that urged them to support the public schools during this tumultuous time. The letter warned “against the dangers of undermining the public education system by establishing, supporting, or patronizing private schools or academies whose deliberate purpose or practical effect is to maintain racial isolation.”14
This support influenced citizens of Jasper County to continue to support the public schools by sending their children there. However, some individuals left the Presbyterian Church in Monticello because they did not agree with the fact that the church was one of the main supporters of integration.15
Despite the effort to join everyone together in a public school system, some citizens of Jasper County felt the need to begin a private school. Mr. Jordan gave me a letter that he had saved that was written by the Piedmont Academy Trustees that stated the need for a private school in Monticello. The notice said “The die is cast – Private schools are forming all over the state, people are demanding quality education and willing to pay to get it. Small, well tutored classes and quality college preparatory courses are being offered. Does Jasper County really want a school such as this? This is merely implementation of the “Free Enterprise” system so dominant in our history. Public Schools will always be open to those desiring them…Don’t you want to be in on this important decision? Jasper County can have an independent school if the people want it bad enough. We must be united, divided we fall. Listen to whoever you wish, but please get all the facts and get them clearly. This must be your own personal decision---They are your children.”16
Piedmont formed in 1970 and still exists in Jasper County today.
Even though some parents chose to send their children to Piedmont, the public school system was and remains highly supported. Through the efforts of groups such as CAPE and the church communities, Jasper County High School became a success story of integration when many counties around them failed. While Jasper County may have felt that it was being pushed into the future by the court order, they handled the transformation very well.17
The formation of private schools was one of the major ways that the state of Georgia avoided desegregation. A “private school amendment” was passed in Georgia in November of 1954 that gave full support to the formation of private schools. It basically allowed government funds to be spent to aid in the building of private schools. It allowed local governments to lease land to people or organizations that wanted to open a private school. It also allowed individuals to “claim a tax credit on their state income tax returns” if they contributed to their local private school. It also guaranteed that those teachers who quit instead of teaching in a mixed race school would still receive their retirement.18
The Sibley Commission was formed when the Georgia General Assembly Committee on Schools met on March 3, 1960, to discuss how Georgia would react to the mandate of Brown v. Board of Education. John Sibley was elected to head the committee.19
In the book explaining the Sibley Committee, there is a quote that sums up why so many people resisted the integration of the schools:
White Southerners believed that if the schools were integrated, the South would lose even more of their precious identity. People like things the way they were, and were very resistant to change of any sort, especially racial changes. A movement against integration began which favored starting private schools all over the state and not supporting the public school system. Despite the efforts of this movement, led by governors Herman Talmadge and Marvin Griffin, and “kingmaker” Roy Harris, the Atlanta schools were told to integrate in 1961.21
The ultimate decision of the Sibley Commission was that Georgia should support public education, and that the segregated system should continue until the federal court made a ruling. This was a result of several factors, including the interests of Atlanta businessmen.22
Atlanta businessmen realized that switching to a private school system would mean the closure of Georgia’s university system, which would have a “devastating impact on the state’s economy”.23
These men may have been against integration for personal reasons, but for business reasons they realized that it was the best route to take. The Sibley Commission was yet another way of delaying the inevitable.
Despite the fact that Atlanta schools began to integrate in 1961, it was a very slow process, like Monticello and Covington. In another attempt to slow the process, the Atlanta schools decided to integrate grade by grade. By 1970, only 20,000 students out of 100,000 attended a desegregated school in the Atlanta public school system. Almost all school systems in Georgia did not fully integrate until the Court Order of 1970, a full sixteen years after Brown v. Board of Education.24
After integration, there were several problems but Georgia had intelligent people on school boards and in communities that helped to make the transition as smooth as possible. A pamphlet published in 1968 advised teachers to “hang loose” and yet be “realistic in recognizing problems”, and encourages them to try to be as equal and fair as possible. The pamphlet explains some of the problems that the teachers might face, and stressed the “importance of communication”. It also explained that the teachers and principles must be models for the parents and students in the community.25
The first mention of the integration of the schools after the historical Brown v. Board of Education ruling in 1954 brought fear and concern into the hearts and minds of almost every resident of the South. This ruling is often considered the most important Supreme Court ruling in U. S. history, and the South was trying their hardest to ignore it. This fear caused many problems at first, and also caused lawmakers and leaders to do all they could within the law to preserve the way of life they had grown so accustomed to. From small towns, such as Monticello and Covington, to the large city of Atlanta people fought hard to keep the schools the way that they had formerly been. Private schools were created and commissions and acts were passed that fully supported white people leaving the public school system all together. Acts such as Freedom of Choice and the act threatening that teachers would lose their licenses are just a few examples of the attempts of lawmakers to stall integration for as long as they possibly could. Gradually, however, people began to realize that change was inevitable and they might as well deal with it as well as they could. White people realized that it was unfair to expect everyone to attend private school because some people simply could not afford it. Committees were organized to assist in the transformation of schools, and these committees did a great deal to aid in the integration of the school systems in Georgia. I believe that without these caring citizens, such as W. Phil Jordan and the other members of CAPE, Jasper County schools would not made near as smooth a transition as they did. The Jasper County school system is a success story of integration, and reveals how people, despite their differences, can work together for a common goal. Jasper County is a prime example of the way the situation was handled in many places. Desegregation could only have been made possible if it was accepted in the minds of the individuals that lived in the community. Those that did not accept it formed private schools and removed their children from the public schools. However, many more people accepted the situation and realized that they should support it if they cared for the future of their children. They were encouraged by the concerned citizens who led committees, and these committees made the transaction much less painful for the citizens of Georgia. Although desegregation was a slow process for the state of Georgia, it eventually came about through the efforts of concerned citizens. “Change did not come easily to most white southerners deeply committed to tradition and maintaining their unique culture. In the midst of a whirlwind of change, white southerners viewed school segregation as a critical symbol of southern distinctiveness. They clung to conservatism and resisted any challenge to the system of white supremacy, believing that change could undermine the entire structure of their society.”
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