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Opinion Maryland: Trial Shows College Segregation A fter six weeks of testimo- ny, a major trial to determine whether Maryland’s four historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have been routinely denied funding and other needed resources that would have made them “comparable and competi- tive” with White universities in the state is expected to end this week, with a ruling expected by this summer. The overwhelming majority of HBCUs, originally established shortly after the Civil War to pre- vent African-Americans from attending all-White state universi- ties, are located in the South. The Maryland case (Coalition for Equity and Excellence in Mary- land Higher Education, Inc., v. Maryland Higher Education Commission, et al.) has attracted T HE C URRY R EPORT George E. Curry alumni of public HBCUs in Maryland and other interested parties. It is seeking approximate- ly $2.1 billion to upgrade the four state HBCUs: Morgan State Uni- versity, Bowie State University, Coppin State University and the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore. Named as major defendants are officials of the University of Maryland Higher Education Commission, Gov. Martin There continues to be substantial differences – severe differences – in terms of the number of programs and the quality of programs national attention, in part, because it involves a border state that, like the South, operated a rigidly segregated school system, but unlike the South, has largely escaped intense public scrutiny. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake presided over the non-jury trial in Baltimore. The lead attor- ney for the plaintiffs was Jon Greenbaum of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Pro bono work was provided by lawyers from Kirk- land & Ellis law firm and the Howard University School of Law Civil Rights Clinic. The suit was originally filed in 2006 by the Coalition for Equity and Excellence in Maryland Higher Education, Inc., a commu- nity-based group comprised of O’Malley and Secretary of High- er Education James E. Lyons, Sr. The state of Maryland’s higher education system has a long his- tory of racial segregation, according to witnesses and court documents. “Throughout its history, Mary- land has systematically engaged in policies and practices that established and perpetuated a racially segregated system of higher education,” the suit asserts. “Maryland first instituted its system of public higher educa- tion in 1807 by establishing the University of Maryland at Balti- more. This was a White-only institution. “Maryland subsequently estab- lished four other White-only, public institutions of higher edu- cation: the University of What do you think? Post your comment on articles in The Skanner News at www.theskanner.com Please Recycle this Newspaper Maryland, established in 1865; Towson University, established in 1866, Frostburgh State University, established in 1898; and Salisbury State University, established in 1922,” the suit continued. “The state began its dual-system by assuming control of The Baltimore Normal School, an all Black teacher’s school now known as Bowie State University. This was the beginning of Maryland’s segre- gated system of higher education.” Maryland was forced to expand educational opportunities for Blacks in order to qual- ify for federal land-grant funds. That led to the state also acquiring what is now the University of Mary- land-Eastern Shore, Morgan State University and adding Coppin State University in 1950. In 1954, the United States Supreme Court issued its Brown v. Board of Education ruling, holding that segregated school systems violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. “Following Brown, Maryland did nothing more than lift the rule excluding Black students from White schools,” the lawsuit recounts. After passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the state ended de jure segregation, opening the doors for African-Americans to attend all- White public universities. “In 1965, however, rather than encourage integration at Morgan State, Maryland established Uni- versity of Maryland Baltimore County (“UMBC”). UMBC was a complete duplication of Morgan State’s entire institution, not just its programs,” the lawsuit stated. In 1969, the Department of Edu- cation’s Office of Civil Rights notified the state of Maryland that it was one of 10 states operating a racially segregated system of high- er education in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Two decades later, the only two ing by Morgan State. Salisbury University was permitted to offer a computer science degree that was already being offered by Universi- ty of Maryland-Eastern Shore. Especially controversial was the decision made by the state in 2005 to allow Towson University and the University of Baltimore to operate a joint Masters in Business Administration program, which had been offered by Morgan State since 1964. Overall, more than a half dozen programs at TWIs duplicated programs already in existence at Mary- land’s HBCUs. Testifying as an expert wit- ness, University of Wisconsin Education Professor Clifton F. Conrad said that the state of Maryland still operates a segregated higher education system. “The dual education systems remain,” he testified. “There con- tinues to be substantial differences – severe differences – in terms of the number of programs and the quality of programs. Those stu- dents who enter Maryland’s historically Black institutions – whether Black, White, or other races – do not have an equal edu- cational opportunity as those students who attend the state’s tra- ditionally White institutions.” The state of Maryland’s higher education system has a long history of racial segregation states in the group still in noncom- pliance were Maryland and Mississippi. Facing the possibility of losing all federal education funds, Mary- land reached agreements with the U.S. Department of Education in 1982 and again in 1985. The later called for “the enhancement of HBCUs to ensure that they are comparable and competitive with TWIs [traditionally White institu- tions] with respect to capital facilities, operating budgets and new academic programs.” A major component of the plan to strengthen HBCs and encourage more Whites to attend them called for the avoiding program duplica- tion at nearby White universities. However, Maryland allowed the creation of an engineering program at UMBC that duplicated an offer- George E. Curry, former editor- in-chief of Emerge magazine and the NNPA News Service, is a keynote speaker, moderator, and media coach. Week on the Web American Diabetes Association Expo Offers Hearing Screenings Researchers suggest- hearing loss by damaging nerves and blood vessels in the inner ear Some Blacks Insist: 'I'm Not African- American' Many minorities say connecting them to another continent no longer makes sense Birth Control Grab Political Spotlight. Obama contraception policy, Komen flap bring issues to forefront in election year Get live, up-to-the- minute news alerts on your mobile phone by SMS text mes- sage: Text “NEWS” or “ENT” to 503-715-0890 www. The Skanner.com has the latest news from Portland and beyond, on your mobile or your desk- top, it’s your go-to place for the news you won’t see in mainstream publications. It’s your community. It’s The Skanner. February 8, 2012 The Portland Skanner Page 5
