A proposal made by Mississippi’s Governor, Haley Barbour, has sparked a great deal of debate within the state. According to an article in USA Today, the governor has propose combining three of the state’s historically black colleges into one in order to save money for the state.

The colleges that would be affected would be Mississippi Valley State, Alcorn State and Jackson State University, with all three being combined into Jackson State University while the campuses continue to exist. Leaders of the Legislative Black Caucus, however, are quite concerned by the proposal. As the House Universities and Colleges Committee Chairman, Kelvin Buck, said, “I am opposed to any measure that would reduce access and opportunity to quality education at any level.”

In addition to some being morally and ethically opposed to combining the schools, others are concerned about the legalities surrounding the possible combination. Namely, some believe the proposal may be in violation of the 2002 Ayers settlement, which was finally settled after 27 years of dispute. In 1975, Jake Ayers, Sr. filed a lawsuit claiming that the state of Mississippi discriminated against Jackson State, Alcorn State and Valley State with its funding process when his son attended Jackson State University.

In 1992, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the state segregation was still present in the state’s university system. The Supreme Court sent the case to the lower courts, which were responsible for arranging for a settlement. Ultimately, the Mississippi Legislature agreed to provide the three colleges with $503 million over the next 17 years. By combining the three schools, critics maintain that segregation is once again rearing its ugly head in the state.

“In the eyes of a lot of Americans, it appears that the black colleges are being attacked once more,” U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, who was a plaintiff in the Ayers lawsuit, is quoted as saying in the USA Today article.

In order to avoid violating the settlement, Thompson said the others involved in the original lawsuit would have to agree to a merger and that he has no plans to do that. Barbour, on the other hand, feels that a merger will not violate the settlement, as the state would continue to make its payments.

These three institutions are not the only ones that would be affected by Barbour’s proposal. USA Today reports that Barbour is also proposing a merger of Mississippi University for Women into Mississippi State University, both of which are traditionally white schools.