In 1961, the city of Athens, Georgia, witnessed a significant event when two African-American students, Hamilton E. Holmes and Charlayne Hunter, began their semester at the University of Georgia (UGA), becoming the first Black students to integrate the nation’s first public university. Despite their admission, they faced violent opposition from nearly 1,000 students led by the Ku Klux Klan, who protested outside Hunter’s dorm. Holmes and Hunter were eventually readmitted under heavy police escort.
Urban Renewal and the Erasure of Linnentown
Following the integration, the city of Athens and the University of Georgia targeted Linnentown, a Black neighborhood, under the guise of urban renewal. In 1961, the city began surveying Linnentown, and within five years, the 50 Black families who lived there were displaced, replaced by three new luxury dormitories for white students. This urban renewal was part of a broader strategy across the U.S. to clear Black neighborhoods deemed “blighted” to make way for new developments.
Systemic Displacement and Economic Injustice
Urban renewal efforts often involved refusing to pave roads, provide electricity, or extend sewage services to Black neighborhoods, thus creating “slums” to justify their removal. In Linnentown, 66% of families owned their homes, and 63% had at least one full-time wage earner, but these statistics did not prevent their displacement. The residents received compensation far below the market value of their homes, and many could not afford legal representation to fight the forced sales.
The Role of Higher Education Institutions
Universities across the country, including the University of Georgia, used urban renewal to expand their campuses at the expense of Black communities. This practice began in northern universities and spread nationwide. Institutions like the University of Chicago, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University cleared Black neighborhoods to accommodate their growing student populations, a process often described as “Penntrification” or “Harvardization.”
The Legal and Social Justifications for Displacement
The urban renewal projects were backed by laws like the American Housing Act of 1949 and its 1959 amendment, which allowed universities to apply for federal loans to clear Black neighborhoods. This legal backing provided a veneer of legitimacy to the racially motivated displacement. The city of Athens and UGA were complicit at every level, from municipal to federal, in the erasure of Linnentown.
Legacy of Linnentown and Continuing Struggles
The destruction of Linnentown had long-lasting impacts on its former residents. Many were forced into public housing, lost generational wealth, and faced economic instability. Today, the poverty rate in Athens is high, and the cost of living in public housing continues to rise due to private developments targeting student housing.
Efforts for Recognition and Reparations
In recent years, activists and former residents have fought for recognition and reparations. The Linnentown Project, led by survivors like Hattie Thomas Whitehead, has worked to achieve several victories, including an apology from Athens-Clarke County and the approval of a memorial wall. They have also called for participatory budgeting powers, the construction of a Center for Racial Justice and Black Futures, and new policies to regulate eminent domain use.
The University’s Response
Despite these efforts, the University of Georgia has resisted placing a marker on its land or acknowledging its role in the displacement of Linnentown. The university argues that similar urban renewal projects occurred nationwide, using this as a defense for its actions. However, activists argue that this does not absolve the university of its responsibility to the Linnentown community.
Conclusion
The story of Linnentown highlights the ongoing struggle for racial justice and the need for accountability from institutions that have historically benefited from the displacement of Black communities. While some progress has been made, much work remains to ensure that the legacy of Linnentown is recognized and that meaningful reparations are provided to its former residents.
