Atlanta Daily World

Atlanta Is Behind Horace Ward

The State Board of Regents voted this week to deny Horace Ward admission to the University of Georgia Law School. In its now well-known two-lines refusal, the Board in effect, told Ward that the State law prohibits the education of the two races together, the Supreme Court decision notwithstanding. and that if he is not satisfied with this, then he can, in the language of the farmer, "just pop his whip."

That is such a great contrast from the position taken by the Governor of Florida. Governor Fuller Warren vetoed a bill, patterned after the Georgia Law that would cut off appropriations to all colleges if racial segregation is ended at any of them. "If state funds were cut off," said the Governor, "colleges would violate teaching contracts and research agreements, immediate confusion would result and incalculable damage would be caused to the careers of 20,000 students. And furthermore, the Governor warned. "if the provision is applied it would do damage to the esteem in which Florida is held by the rest of the Nation and doubted that it would be upheld by the U. S. Supreme Court."

Georgia has the potentialites and talent to furnish leadership for the rest of our southern states. In fact, these states. or most of them, insist upon following us, despite the poor taste we exhibit at times. South Carolina, for example, followed Georgia with a similar law cutting off all appropriations to all schools, should a court order abolition of racial segregation in education.

And although we know. just as Georgia and South Carolina know, that no such law will be respected by a Federal Court, they prefer to force Negroes into the courts. rather than abide by the inescapable ruling of the highest court of the land.

By the action, therefore, of the Board of Regents, Ward is forced to resort to the courts to secure what the Board should and could have granted. To presume? that he will resort to the courts, is a conclusion that is almost foregone.

State after State is being directed to open the doors to Negro graduate students. And Georgia will do likewise. In fact, Roy Wilkins, National Administrator for the NAACP, predicted here last April that Negroes will be studying at the University of Georgia before the end of 1952. Be sure that as it may, Ward can have the complete assurance that he will be supported in his fight, not only by the Negroes of Atlanta but also by the State NAACP chapters and the National Legal Staff of the NAACP. He is placing himself on the Sacrificial Altar, the least we can do is to supply him the financial and moral support. That, citizens have already pledged to do.