Desegregation Story

Cory Jasin

50^th Anniversary of Desgregation

JOUR 3150

On January 9, 1961, two future UGA graduates, one planning to study journalism at the Grady College, and a pre-med hopeful with the intention of studying science at the Franklin College, began their first week of classes surrounded by escorts because they just happened to be the first two black students at the newly desegregated University of Georgia.

Charlayne Hunter-Gault and Hamilton Holmes, respectively, both received suspensions “for their own safety” after only attending classes for a few days. The suspension did not last long, a new court order swiftly brought them back onto campus, where they would leave this mark on this university and their individual colleges for years to come.

Hunter-Gault applied to the University of Georgia, specifically to study journalism at the Grady College. “We are very fortunate that she wanted to come here,” said Dr. E. Cullpepper Clark, current Dean of Grady. “Journalism can not be practiced in an undemocratic society,” and the desegregation of the University and the admittance of Hunter-Gault into Grady was a form of ”liberation for journalism.”

Currently, according to Dr. Clark, Grady is “very active in the promotion of diversity” though they, as well as all other academic colleges at the University of Georgia, can only have a student body as diverse as what the University will allow as far as admissions. In addition to racial and cultural diversity, Grady still faces challenges with attracting a demographic that they have always been fighting for: males. Dr. Clark said that “more [males] need to be attracted to Grady degrees,” and admitted that they “have not succeeded in making it as attractive as it should be to guys.”

Looking to the future, Grady hopes to evolve with the campus and to become ever more diverse with each passing year. No matter what changes occur, Dr. Clark has hopes that it “remains committed to democracy, civic virtue, and engaging as it is today on a new frontier.”

Hamilton Holmes came to the University of Georgia as a transfer student from Morehouse College in Atlanta. A former valedictorian at Turner High School, Holmes would go on to be the first black medical student admitted to Emory University, but not before leaving his mark at the Franklin College here at UGA.

Holmes had wanted to be a doctor since he was a young child and has a long line of integrationists in his family, so being the first black male student at the University of Georgia held a lot of appeal for him.

It is “very significant” for Franklin that Holmes decided to come to Franklin at the University of Georgia, said Dr. Kecia Thomas, Senior Advisor to the Dean of Franklin. It is also very fitting since Franklin is the “college that attracts the most racial diversity” in regards to its students.

Franklin currently has an office solely devoted to diversity and leadership and Dr. Thomas heads up R.E.D., a diversity promotion program at Franklin. R.E.D. stands for “Research and engagement in diversity,” and, according to Dr. Thomas, strives to “promote value for diversity-based scholarship in college.” There is also an outreach program within R.E.D. that sponsors projects throughout Athens and the surrounding areas.

Dr. Thomas hopes that Franklin will continue to “lead the university” and provide greater outreach to the state community” in the years to come.

The University of Georgia and its colleges have come a long way since Charlayne Hunter-Gault and Hamilton Holmes were brave enough to fight for their education, but there is still much work to be done in order to further our diversity and create a fully united campus.

Sources: “An Education in Georgia” by Calvin Trillin