SEPARATE IS NEVER EQUALThe N.C. Conference of the NAACPBennett CollegeMay 17, 2004That story ended well; other accounts of activities at Greensboro College during this time were not so well-informed. Following the Supreme Court ruling in 1954, the Greensboro College student newspaper wrote, “If the Negro is integrated into schools in the South, the Ku Klux Klan and similar groups will result.” Others put it this way: “You can’t legislate how people feel.” Both fears had some basis in fact. But both overlooked the reality that you can, and must, legislate equal treatment under the law. Separate is never equal. With equal rights and equal treatment comes understanding … and understanding is the key to true knowledge, the key to eliminating fear and distrust, the key to harmony and a prosperous nation. Separate meant schoolhouses that were no more than tarpaper shacks for the more fortunate children of color. For the less fortunate, it often meant classes held outside, regardless of the weather. It often meant classes held on the bus. It meant classrooms with no blackboards, no desks — the children fortunate enough to have books held them on their laps. Separate is never equal. In 1955 a student Methodist organization called The Wesley Foundation, wrote in its newsletter, “While realizing the practical difficulties of applying the decision of the Supreme Court concerning segregation of whites and Negroes in public schools, we believe the decision to be a true interpretation of the Christian faith and our American democracy.” The students went on to say, “We of the Wesley Foundation make it known that we will continue to welcome into our fellowship any student regardless of race.” It is appropriate that a Methodist group banned segregation. John Wesley was clear, indeed blunt, on the unity of faith and action. He believed that love was the indispensable condition for all deeds that might be called good. And Wesley had a plan for addressing the needs of the poor: (1) meet the needs yourself, (2) solicit resources for the poor and (3) become an advocate for the poor. Faith must be accompanied by action. Thus Methodism has been in the forefront of equal rights from the earliest days. Separate is never equal. In April 1951, three years before Brown v. Board of Education and three years before male students were admitted to Greensboro College, a columnist for the Greensboro College student paper wrote: “In discussion of race problems, we advocate education to raise the standards of the Negro. That’s our answer, but when it comes down to giving them education and opportunities, we balk. … Is it our choice to make, or did Christ make it for us many years ago when he said, ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself’?” After Brown, Greensboro College was ready to admit African American students. Ironically, the very presence and appeal of both Bennett College for women and of North Carolina A&T State University meant that black students turned to those schools first. In fact, the first black graduate of Greensboro College — Nathaniel Nkanta — was in fact not an African-American. He was a Nigerian, and he graduated in 1971. The first African-American graduate of Greensboro College was Penny Shamberger, who graduated in 1973. Why did she choose Greensboro College? Unlike Nathaniel, Penny was from this area. She certainly knew of the historically black institutions here. But her mother wouldn’t let her attend A&T because almost all Of its students were male, and Penny herself opted against all-female Bennett College. She chose Greensboro College because we were co-ed and because she was impressed by our music program. Interestingly, when interviewed by a current African-American student last year, Penny stated that she did not experience any discrimination OR racial tension while at the College … and that was in the 1960s. Even before the first African-American students entered Greensboro College, some of the white students played a role in the race relations of the city and the nation. In 1961, three of the College’s students — Ed Bryant, Lowell Lott and Rick O’Neal — left their Social Studies class to find out more about the Woolworth lunch counter sit-in that was taking place. After observing the sit-in for a short while, those three white Greensboro College students joined the African-American students from A&T. When they returned to campus, there was unhappiness among some of the administration, but President Harold Hutson gave his support to the students and to their actions. In a 1987 reminiscence of the ’60s, Hutson says this: "The campus was deeply affected during these years by the struggle for racial justice. The Greensboro community was the center of the sit-in movement. We had spirited discussions on campus, with students and faculty divided as to how far the protest should go. We began modestly but significantly. For the summer session of 1963 we accepted two black students who were registered at North Carolina A&T. The sky did not fall — it was a beginning." That beginning has led Greensboro College to where she is today — an institution still enjoying a strong connexion with the United Methodist Church, still pushing for absolutely equal treatment of all and still preaching the tangible benefits to be derived from every citizen having a high-quality education. Ten years ago, people of color comprised 16 percent of the Greensboro College student body. Currently non-whites are 24 percent. It’s not enough, but we’re going in the right direction. We know that it’s good to have diversity on our faculty as well as among our student population, and that it’s even better to have minority faculty in positions of leadership. Currently at Greensboro College: Our Math and our Social Sciences areas are chaired by African-American faculty.
Separate is never equal. Greensboro College is on the right road. We know that as historical and significant a step as Brown v. Board of Education was, it was just one step among many that must be taken. We cherish our Methodist heritage of working for equality for all. We know that separate is never equal. We know that we all have a long ways to go. But the most important thing we know is this: We are in it together, and together we can make the journey successfully. Craven E. Williams |