Faculty Mentors
Dr. Mark Huddle
Abstract
When Charlayne Hunter arrived on the University of Georgia’s campus on January 9, 1961, a hostile but not overtly violent crowd greeted her. While Hunter’s situation was not ideal, in no way did it compare to the animosity and even brutality that other African American students had experienced trying to integrate into other segregated universities in the Southeast. In her autobiography, In My Place, Hunter-Gault describes only one obstruction to her registration process, and unlike the case of other African American students before her, this obstruction was not a result of antics from crowds thronging the university’s campus or from any irate university or state officials. Hunter’s barrier to registration came when Federal Judge William A. Bootle halted her registration process to allow time for the University of Georgia to appeal his earlier mandate that Hunter be admitted to the university. Fortunately for Hunter, another federal judge overruled Bootle’s decision, and this obstruction was overcome quickly and peacefully. Many other African Americans trying to integrate segregated universities were not as fortunate as Charlayne Hunter and had to overcome many other barriers to achieve integration.
Recommended Citation
London, Grace
(2015)
"Crashing the Hedges: The Road to the Integration of the University of Georgia,"
The Corinthian: Vol. 16, Article 9.
Available at:
https://kb.gcsu.edu/thecorinthian/vol16/iss1/9