Plan to merge black colleges meets with ire - USATODAY.com: JACKSON, Miss — Gov. Haley Barbour's proposal to merge Mississippi's three public historically black universities is sparking debate over its racial undertones and raising questions over the state's funding of those colleges.
Barbour has proposed combining the smaller Mississippi Valley State and Alcorn State universities into Jackson State University. The campuses would continue to exist, he said.
The Republican made the recommendation last month as part of his budget proposal for fiscal 2011, but he has acknowledged savings would not be realized for at least a year.
Many legislators, including leaders of the Legislative Black Caucus, have vowed to block any merger that involves the historically black colleges. 'I am opposed to any measure that would reduce access and opportunity to quality education at any level,' said House Universities and Colleges Committee Chairman Kelvin Buck, a Democrat.
Many of the questions about the proposal focus on its legality under the 2002 Ayers settlement, which ended a 27-year-old federal lawsuit filed in 1975 by the late Jake Ayers Sr., the father of a Jackson State University student.
