Pragmatic Pessimism in Black Higher Education: The Case of Benner C. Turner
Description
Benner C. Turner, the president of South Carolina State College, a public Historically Black College and University (HBCU) was a conservative educator during the Civil Rights Movement, which increasingly demanded activist disobedience from students and faculty. Turner was often accused of authoritarian leadership and of failing to appreciate the significance of Brown v. Board of Education, the 1954 ruling that effectively made segregation illegal. Yet Turner’s pessimistic understanding of Brown, and his punitive response to student activism, offers an alternate model of academic leadership during times of crisis. His brand of pragmatic pessimism sheds light on some of the issues in Black higher education that we grapple with today, including affirmative action and the recent flux of Black students choosing HBCUs.
