Georgia State Honors the Black Students Who Sued the University to Force Racial Integration

Georgia State University recently honored three women who sued for their right to attend the university in the 1950s in a groundbreaking court case that eventually led to the integration of Georgia State and other universities in the South.

The university honored Myra Payne Elliott, Barbara Pace Hunt, and Iris Mae Welch, who with the help of the NAACP sued in 1956 for their right to attend Georgia State. Elliott, Hunt and Welch were the plaintiffs in the case Hunt v. Arnold, filed by the NAACP. Because of their challenge to segregation, the women faced hatred, vile statements from state legislators, and threats from white supremacists, including members of the Ku Klux Klan.

The three women won the case in a 1959 court decision but were still prevented from enrolling at the institution through laws enacted by the state legislature and policies set forth by the board of regents. The case was the NAACP’s first federal court victory against segregated education in Georgia. Georgia State would not integrate until 1962.

At the recent ceremony at Georgia State, the three women’s story was presented in a new mini-documentary from the university’s School of Film, Media & Theatre. The story is also told in the new book Ground Crew: The Fight to End Segregation at Georgia State (University of Georgia Press, 2019) authored by Maurice C. Daniels, dean emeritus and professor emeritus at the School of Social Work at the University of Georgia.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

California State University Sacramento Launches Black Honors College

Officially launching for the fall 2024 semester, the Black Honors College will support students from all backgrounds who study Black history, life, and culture by providing them with a specialized curriculum and mentoring opportunities.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

In Memoriam: Norman B. Anderson, 1955-2024

Dr. Anderson was the assistant vice president for research and academic affairs at Florida State University at the time of his death. He had an extensive career in clinical psychology, which led him to become the first African American chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association.

Georgia State University Launches Program to Support Black Women in Tech

While Black women account for roughly 29 percent of the Georgia State University undergradaute student body, they represent only 10 percent of the university's computer science majors and 18 percent of the computer information systems majors.

Featured Jobs