Governor Promises to Defend Georgia's HBCUs

ATLANTA — Gov. Roy Barnes pledged last month to dedicate state resources to fighting a lawsuit that may threaten the existence of Georgia's three historically Black universities.
"We will not allow the small-minded and the mean-spirited elements of our society to close the doors on our Black colleges," Barnes told alumni and officials of the schools at a meeting in Atlanta. "We will not turn the clock back on educational opportunities."
The suit, filed in federal court in Savannah by Atlanta attorney Lee Parks, alleges that the state has failed to desegregate its three traditionally Black public schools — Albany State University, Fort Valley State University, and Savannah State University. It proposes merging them with predominantly White schools nearby.
"All three universities are attracting great students, winning scholarships and awards, and sending their students abroad," Barnes says. "So let me make it clear ... I as your governor intend to defend the position that exists with our traditionally Black colleges and universities because they're doing a good job."
Parks has argued that Blacks are being shortchanged because the historically Black colleges (HBCUs) don't have anywhere near the same undergraduate or graduate programs that the state's flagship universities offer.
Velma McCray-Duncan, president of Fort Valley State's national alumni association, says Barnes' remarks were encouraging  given that Black public universities in other states have been dismantled.
John Brown, president of the Savannah State alumni group, says, "It makes me know that when we went to the polls in November, that we all did the right thing."
Barnes was elected over Republican Guy Millner last fall with the help of Black voters.
Parks' suit also alleges reverse discrimination in admission policies at the University of Georgia.

NEW YORK — After much controversy, City University of New York trustees voted last month to reform remedial education at CUNY's 11 four-year colleges.
Under the new remedial policy, students who fail one or more of the university's placement exams in reading, writing, and math would not be allowed to enroll at CUNY's senior colleges.
"Now, if you fail one of those tests, you'll have to get that remedial education before admission to the four-year schools — either during intersession or summer session at a four-year school or at a community college," says Anthony Coles, a senior adviser to New York  Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.
Trustees voted 10 to 5 in favor of the reforms, which will be phased in from January 2000 through September 2001, Coles says.
They first voted in favor of the reforms in a 9 to 6 vote in May. But critics of the plan, who filed a lawsuit against the university, said CUNY's board of trustees had voted illegally to ban the courses by not allowing enough people into the hearing (see Black Issues, Dec. 24, 1998).
Instead of waiting for a lengthy trial, the trustees decided to hold the vote again, this time in a room large enough to hold 1,000 people, Coles said.
"I congratulate [the trustees] for this courageous vote," Giuliani says. "The trustees should take great pride for defending their belief in fairness and excellence in education.
"The reform will result in a more rewarding and valuable college education, and a college degree that will be of greater value when students seek jobs after graduation," he adds.
The reforms were proposed because more than 60 percent of students in the system's four-year colleges failed at least one of the reading or writing or math tests to determine basic skills assessments for incoming freshmen, Coles says. Several politicians, including Giuliani, had long pushed to eliminate remediation at the four-year schools in what they said was an effort to raise standards.
CUNY has a student body of about 202,000. About two-thirds are members of minority groups and about half are non-native English speakers.