OPINION: Maintaining historically black colleges is a racist program

Senate Higher Education Committee Chairman Seth Harp (R-Midland) made the proposal recently. His specific proposal was to merge Armstrong State University and Savannah State University in Savannah. Savannah State is a traditionally black school, and Armstrong State was originally founded as an all-white school. Both are owned and operated by the State of Georgia. Historically black Albany State, and white-majority two-year Darton College in Albany were included in his recommendation.

Senator Harp’s purpose in making the proposal is to save money. And in the present economic downturn, saving money is very important. He points out that by merging these institutions, the state will save thousands of dollars by eliminating duplication of services and management. He is right. But there are even more important reasons why this step ought to be taken.

I have long argued that you cannot end racism within one group while promoting it in the other. But that is exactly what we do. Apparently, some people think that racism among whites is evil, but when blacks do it, it is an effort to preserve “black” culture. It simply does not work that way.

Let’s face it. Any program that is based on the color of your skin, regardless of which color you choose, is a racist program. The Black Congressional Caucus, of which President Elect Barack Obama was a member, is a racist organization. The United Negro College Fund is racist by its very title. Simply put, when you see the words Black or Negro in a title, change those words to white and see how it sounds. If it is racist when you include white, it is racist when you include the word black. And I repeat what I have said many times, a racist is a racist no matter the color of the racist. And maintaining “historically black” colleges is a racist program.
It is simply wrong for the state of Georgia to spend taxpayers money on the maintenance of segregated schools. The courts have ruled, and the people generally agree that segregation is improper. The fact that we still have segregated schools in Georgia is simply unacceptable. The fact that these schools that separate black and white students is promoted and defended by black legislators and academics does not make it any more proper.

If black students insist on attending segregated black schools, they are free to enroll in any of the several private black colleges in Georgia. Morehouse and Morris Brown in Atlanta are examples of private black colleges.

I think that these so called black leaders need to be promoting high levels of education at all school levels so that children who happen to have dark skin are prepared to function equally well in all of our state colleges as those with lighter skin. Suggesting that black students need special schools in order to achieve should be considered an insult to the black race.

Martin Luther King’s dream will be realized only when students are students, and no one notices the color of their skin. But we will never achieve that dream with segregated colleges like Albany State and Savannah State. It is long past time we eliminated segregation from our state college system.

Frank Gillispie is founder of The Madison County Journal. His e-mail address is frankgillispie671@msn.com. His website can be accessed at http://frankgillispie.tripod.com/