University of Georgia Integration Digital Museum: 3D Gallery

UGA Integration Digital Museum

By: Julianna Thomas

Class: 20th Century U.S. History

Teacher: Ms. Sarnacki

Grade: 9th

Date: May 3rd

WWⅡIntegration Poster

The Start of Integration- The Armed Forces

The first successful attempts of integration can be found in the armed forces. It was here that the idea of white and black people coming together to benefit both sides in being stronger together first flourished. It is a “...significant precursor to the integration of public education in our nation.”(Brahana). Even though the armed forces weren’t completely desegregated until 1948, tough battles during the war called for the temporary integration of the military. Once the success of integration could be seen on such a large scale in the armed forces, the fight for integration elsewhere was in reach.

Little Rock Nine Students being escorted into school by the National Guard

One of the events that followed closely after the Brown v. Board of Education ruling and that is one of the most famous school desegregation attempts is the Little Rock Nine. The Little Rock Nine were nine African American students who attempted to attend Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. Because of the deep hatred and protesting the student’s entry, President Eisenhower had to order the 101st Airborne Division to ensure the students made it into the building safely. The enforcement of the ruling in the monumental case proved to be much more challenging than announcing the new law. Slowly but surely, this event and many others began to make desegregated schools a new reality.

Former Alabama Gov. blocking the door to The University Of Alabama

Coming closer to home for the students on the University of Georgia's (UGA’s) campus, another enforcement of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling took center stage at the University of Alabama. Feeling strongly against desegregation of the school, he managed to reflect the feeling of many people in the South at the time. A majority of people in the area were either opposed to the new law, or didn't want to rush the enforcement of it. The integration law continued to spread to other schools like Arkansas State University, University of Oklahoma School of Law, and the University of Georgia.

1961 newspaper article that talks about the subject and has pictures of students signing petitions to keep the school opened

The school's risk of being closed because of resistance to desegregation is mentioned in this document. The Red and Black is the University of Georgia's newspaper that features only topics that are happening at and impacting the school. Since this paper has such a small focus point, it is able to go more in depth in areas like this. Information provided by this newspaper could have been biased since it was most likely written by white men at the school. The way this newspaper could have swayed student's thinking, combined with the everyday talk around the university, could have lead to less or more violence upon the black students' arrivals.

Charlayne Hunter, Hamilton Holmes, and U.S. District Court Judge William Bootle( 3 Images)

On January 6, 1961 U.S. District Court Judge William Bootle, said “the two plaintiffs are fully qualified for immediate admission” and “would already have been admitted had it not been for their race and color.”

Both courageous students attended an all-black high school in Atlanta, Georgia. Holmes graduated top of his class, was the captain of the football team, and was the senior class president. Hunter, also finishing with high regards, was third in her class, and was the lead editor on the school’s paper. These qualifications, and many others, made these two students highly qualified to be admitted into the university. For almost two years the University of Georgia gave many invalid reasons why they denied these students' applications.

Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes at the end of their first day on campus

On January 9th, Holmes and Hunter arrived to UGA and were met with mobs with people yelling racist comments. On their third night at the university,a second group of rioters gathered where the two students lived. They threw bricks and bottles at the windows before the Athens police later broke up the riot. While the students were never injured, the threat was enough to make the students fearful.The resistance that students were willing to show to integration made Holmes and Hunter work that much harder to prove that the desegregation of high education can and will happen.

Brick thrown into Holmes' dorm by rioters

Even though all University of Georgia students and staff weren’t against enrollment of the first black students into the university, it seemed like it to viewers as they witnessed the rioting. Besides yelling racist slures, the angry crowd threw items at the students and even tried to harm them by throwing bricks into their dorms. These acts, that were eventually haulted by Athens police, meant that Holmes and Hunter weren’t safe in their own dorms. No safe spaces on campus, other than small secluded classrooms, made it extremely difficult to continue the goal of graduating from UGA. Not being frightened or discouraged by the rioters and hate proved to be easier once the two found a few reliable people in the school who were helpful in making them feel appreciated.

Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes graduating

When Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes graduated from the University of Georgia, it was a joyous occasion that took many sacrifices. The riots, hate mail, and constant discouraging messages displayed to the students didn’t stop them from reaching their goals. As loud as the hateful messages were, the hopeful encouraging ones were just as powerful. Black people, especially in the south, showed their support by mailing letters and spreading the word that times were changing. Holmes went on to become the first black student admitted to the Emory University School of medicine, and Hunter went on to become an American journalist.

Mary Frances Early and My Sister (Phyllicia Thomas)

The Legacy

Because of Hamilton Holmes, Charlayne Hunter, U.S. District Court Judge William Bootle, and other people involved in the first African-American students admission, other milestones could be made. In 1962, Mary Frances Early earned a master's degree in music education, becoming the first African American to earn a UGA master’s degree. My event set the stage for Early, and many other black people to have an opportunity to be a student at the University of Georgia. Over 2,000 black people now attend the University, all because of the sacrifices by the individuals highlighted in the museum. The opened door on equal opportunity to get into UGA and other colleges can never be closed again.

Username:
Password:
Submit Cancel
Not a member? JOIN NOW!

University of Georgia Integration Digital Museum