In 1972 Gary Johnson was the first appointed coordinator of the Black Studies program and Mercer Alumni. Mercer’s archives reveals Johnson’s dedication to defending integration and advocating further for inclusion of POC students. In a letter dated, April 27th 1972, Johnson corresponds with Dean Garland Taylor in regards to accepting a position as a coordinator for the introduction of a Black Studies program.

 “It is quite different to understand and to answer the specifics of you letter concerning the Black Studies Program at Mercer. Being here in the Boston-Cambridge area has given me the opportunity to visit Black Studies centers and to make numerous personal contacts with students of Black Studies programs. From such contacts, I have been able to gather a few definite ideas in administering such useful discussion of the Black Studies program at Mercer would entail a visit to Mercer campus. Mercer’s program in my opinion has special problems and unique characteristics. Thus to make comments on such a program now would be at least a guessing game. A campus visit would give a chance to consult students, faculty and other interested components of the program. So I think it is fitting at this time to reserve comment”(Johnson, Gary, April 27th 1972, Mercer University Collections, Macon, GA)

Prior to Johnson's arrival there was not much published support for a 'black studies' 'program at the newly integrated University. To the left is a collection of opinion peices about the program from the student newspaper.

Johnson wrote a 12 page critique of Mercer progress regarding the program and had analysis that is consistent with present issues regarding POC faculty support. The paper was published May 23, 1973, three years into the program. It was titled, “The First Three Years of Afro-American Studies”. He reports that after three years Mercer and its administration were unwilling to adjust and integrate fully by including a more competitive and in depth program for its staff and black students. He reports on how the Black Studies Program does not include a needed in depth course selection or relevant literature centering around black culture and history. He states that Mercer is sabotaging their program and only using it for “tokenism”. Scan the QR code to read his whole critque.

The Black Studies program was started in 1971 with the following courses (according to the 1971-72 Mercer Course Catalog): :  The American Black Experience ;The Nature and Manifestation of Prejudice ;Cultural Anthropology (began being taught in 1948 or 49) ; Civil Rights and the Black American; Readings in Ethnic Minority Education; Urban Society; Imperialism in Modern Africa (began in 1968); Christian Social Ethics; Ethnic Minorities (began in 1946 as social problems of the south, and the name changed in 1947 or 48); Religion and the American Black Experience; American Constitutional Law: The National Government; American Constitutional Law: Civil Rights; Contemporary Social Philosophies; Economics of Minority Groups; Practical Colloquium: Race and the Neighborhood; Supervised; Reading: reading on the American Black experience; Teaching the Culturally Disadvantaged Student ; Supervised Practical Research: A Field Project

Scan QR code below!