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Jimmy Carter on Education
President of the U.S., 1977-1981
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Defended private schools, even when segregated
Carter peddled himself as a racist in his 1970 gubernatorial campaign against Carl Sanders. He spoke sympathetically of racists Alabama Gov. George Wallace and Lt. Gov. Lester Maddox. He criticized Sanders for having once barred Wallace from a speaking
engagement. Carter visited a private segregated school in the Piedmont region of Georgia and told backers for 13 south Georgia counties at a rally not to “let anybody, including the Atlanta newspapers, mislead you into criticizing private education.”
And yet he announced on the day of his inauguration as Governor, “I say to you quite frankly that the day for discrimination is over.” As Governor his track record in race relations was superior. He appointed blacks to major state boards and agencies.
The number of black state employees increased under his aegis from 4,850 to 6,684. He even took a black security ofificer into his home and into his then segregated church.
Source: How Jimmy Won, by Kandy Stroud, p. 12
, Jan 1, 1997
Feds should pay higher percentage of public education
Carter, who feels that the federal government should pay a higher percentage of the cost of public education, gives early priority to the initiation of a comprehensive education program. His program would create a separate Department of Education,
greater vocational and career opportunities, increased federal expenditures to provide for the education of the handicapped, reforms to strengthen colleges and universities in financially troubled times, and more educational opportunities for the elderly
Source: Jimmy Who?, by Leslie Wheeler, p.187-188
, Jan 1, 1976
Page last updated: Apr 28, 2013
