In “We Shall Not Be Moved: The Desegregation of the University of Georgia” by Robert A. Pratt, he explores the struggles of the University of Georgia finally allowing black students to become apart of the educational community. All of this was new and not many knew how to react, the students that we are introduced to are Horace Ward, who first tried and “failed” to get into the school, and Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes who were the first to successfully integrate the university. The legal troubles caused by this segregation sparked a fire with people, from the governor to students, who opposed Hunter and Holmes in their motivation of receiving a well earned education. The main focuses easily distinguished in the book are desegregation
…show more content…
He had hopes to enroll in the law program here and make history of becoming the first black student. When he finally received the decision back from UGA, it wasn’t a normal response, it was a bribe from a higher official willing to spare thousands of “financial aid” dollars for him to attend school out of state. His application interested many around the country in which people wrote letters to the Chancellor, expressing their opinions on the outcome. The argument for rejection according to Chancellor Caldwell, was that “it was the only decision possible under state law, citing both the state constitution, which forbade integration in Georgia’s public schools and the recent actions of the state legislature, which in the 1951-52 session sought to eliminate the possibility that integration would occur in any of the states seventeen public colleges (Pratt 19).” This infuriated Ward because he knew it was solely based on his race, so he decided to sue the state of Georgia, with the assistance of the NAACP he became the first African American to challenge the segregation. This situation goes to show how those with power, were corrupt and believed that bribery could just solve the issue. Whites stooped down to sparing state money, just to keep the title of having an all white school. In reality, blacks wanted more of chance to fight for there opportunities and prove how absurd the segregation
He had hopes to enroll in the law program here and make history of becoming the first black student. When he finally received the decision back from UGA, it wasn’t a normal response, it was a bribe from a higher official willing to spare thousands of “financial aid” dollars for him to attend school out of state. His application interested many around the country in which people wrote letters to the Chancellor, expressing their opinions on the outcome. The argument for rejection according to Chancellor Caldwell, was that “it was the only decision possible under state law, citing both the state constitution, which forbade integration in Georgia’s public schools and the recent actions of the state legislature, which in the 1951-52 session sought to eliminate the possibility that integration would occur in any of the states seventeen public colleges (Pratt 19).” This infuriated Ward because he knew it was solely based on his race, so he decided to sue the state of Georgia, with the assistance of the NAACP he became the first African American to challenge the segregation. This situation goes to show how those with power, were corrupt and believed that bribery could just solve the issue. Whites stooped down to sparing state money, just to keep the title of having an all white school. In reality, blacks wanted more of chance to fight for there opportunities and prove how absurd the segregation