The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-11-25
A NEW RACE PROBLEM

Regional Universities for colored
students may be proposed by the
Southern University Conference as the
South's answer to the Supreme Courts
ruling in the Lloyd Gaines Missouri
case. Stirred by the crisis developing
as cOlored students knock for admis
sion at unsupported state universities,
leaders of fOrty-one colleges and uni
verslties at a recent meeting in Atlanta
took steps toward a possible solution
by appointing a committee to study the
problem and make recommendations
DIR. Harmon w. Caldwell, president of
Georgia University, is chairman of the
committee.
That the problem is becoming acute
and disturbing was apparent from DR..
Caldwell's warning that "we must do
something quickly" The Supreme
Court decided in the Gaines case that
state must provide colored students
with adequate opportunities for gradu-
ate study. A similar case is now be-
fore Tennessee Courts. In Tennessee
four colored students seek admission
to the graduate schools of the State
University; three other colored stu
dents are demanding entrance into the
University Of Georgia; but decision on
the applications has been side-stepped
or delayed while educational authori-
ties worry over a way out. Obviously
representative of the die-hard reaction
aries at Georgia University, Dr. Cald-
well asserted: Il do not believe it is
feasible to admit colored students to
Southern institutions used by white
students just now. The most practical
solution would be in setting up regional
universities to which all States in the
region would contribute. This arrange
ment would relieve the States of ire
mendOus if not prohibitive costs of
establishing separate graduate schools"
The regional university plan" will
undoubtedly be rejected because it does
not comply with the Supreme courts
mandate that the adequate facilities for
colored graduate study must be set up
within the boundaries of the State.
Students of one state are not to be
compelled to 90 to another state for
their education. The old bogeyism that
STILES the south still continues to bar
a democratic, progressive solution of
Southern problems. For once at least,
the SOuth's better element is forced to
concern itself about a color issue. The
Southern leaders of education unques-
tionably are worried. Their command
ing position as Americas teachers, re
sponsible in a great degree for the
nations future leadership, makes them
acutely aware that their decision
should not fall short of the liberalized
standards Of their calling; that their
particular solution of color questions
should be well-grounded on patriotism,
democracy and tolerance, - sound
Americanism. Will they dare to cut
the Gordian knot with bold stroke for
democracy?
Although the old fogeyism of Mis-
souri, University oficialdom prevailed
to establish a separate law school in
st. Louis for the present and future
Lloyd Gaineses, the student body
evinced little or no organized opposi-
ton toward sharing classrooms with
colored students. Southern-b born white
students at Northern universities have
never been known to develop single
case of "heebie jeebies" at sight of
cOlored student in a classroom. On
the other hand there are many in
stances on record where young gentle
men from Dixie and colored fellow
students have got along together un-
usually well. For prejudice is
not a natural product 1t is delibera-
tely indoctrinated into Southern youth.
And young people of today are getting
mighty tired of the continuing folly of
it.
All these considerations should sug-
gest to the South the democratic and
the best way out of the muddle, Let
the question of admitting the colored
graduates come up before the student
bodies. The guess may be wrong at
times; but the growing liberalism of
young America, South as we'll as
North, should have an open democratic
chance to function, at last unrestrain-
ed by the old race-hating adversaries
of progress.