147 Harding was established in 1924 as a senior college named [whatever it was called], and was later named Harding University officially. One-hundred years has passed since its establishment It has been one hundred years since her establishment. Throughout these years, she has become highly regarded within the Church of Christ community for her education and Christian values. She is seen as a beacon of light to many, but there is darkness along the way. In [YEAR], Harding University coined the term “You belong at Harding,” but that was not always the case for everyone. Resistance to Integration After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the segregation of public schools to be unconstitutional in the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954) case, some were beginning to wrestle with the idea of integration on campus amidst the Civil Rights Movement. Those thoughts would soon be addressed in 1956 when George S. Benson delivered the notorious speech “Harding College and the Colored Problem,” during chapel. [TITLE] Michael D. Brown reiterates some statements from this speech in the Arkansas Times; Benson felt integration would bring “increased destruction to property, increased gonorrhea and syphilis, and increased pregnancies.” In the conclusion of his speech against integration, he stated “The blackbirds and bluebirds, the blue jays and mockingbirds, they don’t mix and mingle together young people!” Unbeknownst to Benson, his strong opposition to integration sparked an even stronger fight for desegregation amongst the campus. Time for a Change One of Benson’s arguments against integration was that the campus just wasn’t ready. Well The Student Association, led by Bill Floyd, decided to challenge that. If they could get enough of the campus to sign the “Statement of Attitude,” then this would be proof that the Harding community would be ready for the change. In 1957, it was published that the “Statement of Attitude” was signed by “946 out of 1276 students, faculty, and staff.” The “Statement of Attitude” reads: To the Administration and Board of Trustees of Harding College: A number of members of the Harding College community are deeply concerned about the problem of racial discrimination. Believing that it is wrong for Christians to make among people distinctions which God has not made, they sincerely desire that Harding College make clear to the world that she believes in the principles of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. To that end, the undersigned individuals wish to state that they are ready to accept as members of the Harding community all academically and morally qualified applicants, without regard to arbitrary distinctions such as color or social level; that they will treat such individuals with the consideration and dignity appropriate to human beings created in the image of God; and that they will at all times face quietly, calmly, patiently, and sympathetically any social pressures intensified by this action. After reaching out to Bill Floyd to offer some insight into his thoughts on integration at the time, he quickly responded via email with, “Any efforts to split us up by “To the Administration and Board of Trustees of Harding College.” The Bison, Nov. 14, 1957 Bill Floyd - 1957 Petit Jean YOU AT HARDING
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