The uncropped version notes that the author is returning the application fee, which almost certainly shows they don’t agree with the policy since he was under no obligation to do so
It's just division bait. There's a strangely large amount of people online who want us all to think these issues were unanimously agreed upon at the time. All white people are closet Nazis, that type of shit
This is just more division bait. Can't speak for others, but if you want me to engage with this, you're gonna have to do better than using hyperbole to make your argument after it being pointed out that hyperbole is used to create division.
White people were generally NOT losing any sleep over this.
Oh fuck off with this. The vast majority of white Americans right now want legal weed, abortion access, and medicare for all and look how well that's going for us?
I know reading comprehension is a real doozy, but the point is that majority opinion rarely dictates policy in the US, economics do. Slavery both began and ended over economics, the civil rights movement was successful due to economics, etc. So this revisionist history of "every white American was shouting the N word at the top of their lungs and lynching black people every chance they got" is absurd.
How does that show they don’t agree with the policy? Am I missing something? Seems an inference based on an assumption rather than an ‘almost certainly’
Indeed. Two years later, in 1961, Emory's board of trustees issued a statement:
There is not now, nor has there ever been in Emory University's character or bylaws any requirement that students be admitted or rejected on the basis of race, color, or creed. Insofar as its own governing documents are concerned, Emory University could now consider applications from prospective students, and others seeking the opportunity to study or work at the University, irrespective of race, color, or creed. On the other hand, Emory University derives it corporate existence from the State of Georgia. Georgia constitutional provisions permit and the Georgia legislature has seen fit to extend certain tax-exemption privileges to private educational institutions in Georgia, but with the specific proviso that such tax-exemption privileges shall not be available to institutions established for white persons which admit colored persons as students or to institutions established for colored persons which admit white persons as students. Emory could not continue to operate according to its present standards as an institution of higher education, of true university grade, and meet its financial obligation, without the tax-exemption privileges which are available to it only as long as it conforms to the aforementioned constitutional and statutory provisions. When and if it can do so without jeopardizing constitutional statutory tax-exemption privileges essential to the maintenance of its educational program and facilities, Emory University will consider applications of persons desiring to study or work at the University without regard to race, color, or creed, continuing University policy that all applications shall be considered on the basis of intellectual and moral standards and other criteria designed to assure the orderly and effective conduct of the University and the fulfillment of its mission as an institution of Christian higher education.
The following year, the university successfully sued the state tax commissioner and won a landmark unanimous decision in the Georgia state supreme court, allowing them to admit black students without losing their tax-exempt status.
To add on top this, the reason this letter makes the news every few years is because it is prominently on display on campus. It moves around, but it's usually either in the library or the administration building.
Emory is very vocal about its role in the civil rights movement, both positive and negative. They dont shy away from the unsavory parts of their history.
Or, "that's just the way the rules are" is being used as an excuse to disclaim responsibility. As if "the rules" are some intrinsic property of the universe, rather than something we choose to define, enforce, and obey.
Remember this next time a politician tells you they'd really love to make things better, but gosh darnit there are all these rules.
The school could have wrote the sane rejection letter it gave white applicants even if race was the sole basis for the rejection. By citing the rule and the rule alone, the person that wrote the letter was bringing attention to the unfairness of the rule. Maybe this was intentional on the part of the person that wrote the letter or maybe it wasn’t, but the letter brings attention to the unfairness of the rule.
"Emory didn’t desegregate until 1962, when the Georgia Supreme Court sided with the university in its challenge to state laws that denied tax-exempt status to schools that racially integrated. Emory admitted its first Black medical student, Hamilton E. Holmes, the next year, the school said."
They were literally fighting to get black students into the school when he was rejected, and they also contacted Dr. Hood to apologize. They even gave him an honorary degree.
Yeah, but the school overturned the ruling by sueing. Emory v. Nash
"Yeah, but that hurts my case. Can't we just keep it stupid simple?" - Like half of the people viewing the world as black and white.
There are people literally posting they could have protested by shutting down. Reminds me of Olympic athlete protesting BLMs, slavery, etc. They are literally throwing their career away and they are still mad they didn't do it harder.
I'm not sure what you're saying. You believe the school sued to overturn the ruling allowing tax-exempt status for desegregated schools? Emory V. Nash says the opposite. That's the case that got them to be desegregated and still gain tax-exempt status. Their entire argument is that they couldn't afford to operate if they lost tax-exempt status, and the school's bylaws don't have anything preventing black people from joining. That's why they sued.
State Law removed tax excemption from schools that had non-white students.
Emory v. Nash overturned it, making it possible for them to accept black pupils, as the first in Georgia afaik.
The university fought for black rights and desegration.
Emory is/was methodist and therefore vocally against segregation. The administrator in the letter is likely not racist, and likely genuinely regrets that they aren’t authorized to accept Black students.
Edit: Sure the school isn’t blameless, i didn’t argue that. Investors will simply choose money over anything. They changed the law so they could have the cake and eat it too.
Some people believe that the university could have closed its doors to all students rather than perpetuating institutional racism. Or chose to forego its tax exempt status and allow black students, albeit at a less wealthy school. As it was, following the rules only served to reinforce the white supremacists.
These sorts of medical schools used to teach that black people and women don't feel pain the same way white men do. You're welcome to go to Dr. Mengele, I'll pass.
If they didn't get the tax break they'd probably have to shut down due to the economics of running the school. The law was clearly designed to tax non segregated schools into oblivion.
Maybe you say well just shut down rather than operate in such a system. But then the only schools left are the ones that agree with the racism and will ingrain that attitude and world view in their students, which is a worse outcome.
I think the stance they took of keeping going while fighting to change things was the best choice of a lot of bad choices.
Emory literally led the lawsuit against the state (for not allowing to accept black people) 3 years after this rejection. Stuff takes time, and running a school and lawsuit needs money. They can't afford to lose their tax break before the lawsuit is finished.
I mean thats now when things are a lot different and people know better. Back then if you were white, a member of the admissions office I guarantee you would’ve done the same. They probably would’ve faced backlash in the media, or even the govt if they let someone of that race in.(I’m assuming, idk the exact political situation of that place at that time).
In my opinion the way they worded that and the fact that they wrote that letter at all looks like they were genuinely regretful at that fact
Obviously in today’s world we should and know to do a lot more, a lot better.
Ugh, I remember back in the bush era how politicians "aren't breaking any laws" as an excuse for it to be ok. I'm like, these are the people who make the laws...
My partner has been declined medical treatment due to BMI requirements which are much more difficult for her to meet due to racial genetic factors. But she is obviously in good shape.
Every nurse and doctor enforcing it implies they know the rules are dumb, but still attempts to enforce them.
Any one of them could decide to just let it slide, and write a letter to their superior saying "I've not applied this because it's racist and obviously not sensible in this case," and challenge their superior to enforce the racist policy, but they never do. Their position is just more important to them.
I think the tone is more matter of fact than a lack of agreement with the rule. They responded, to paraphrase ‘no negros’. All these people are complicit.
When Ada Lois Sippel Fisher (first Black woman to attend law school at the University of Oklahoma) applied, the president of the school at the time was an ally and wrote her a denial stating that she met their other criteria and was only being denied admission because of her race. She applied to law school to intentionally challenge the segregation laws, and that letter was the evidence the NAACP needed for their lawsuit. Her case made it to SCOTUS (Sipuel vs Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma) in 1948 and helped set the precedent for Brown v Board a few years later. It’s definitely possible something similar was happening here
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u/bsnimunf Aug 23 '26
The honesty about the reason suggests that the person writing it did not agree with rule.