Description
Video of an interview with former Georgia governor George Busbee in which he discusses the formation of the Sibley Commission, which was designed in 1959 to allow the public to voice opinions about the desegregation of public schools. He begins by asserting that, given the option, the citizens of Georgia would have voted to close the state's public schools in an act of defiance against the federal government. He then states that he, among other Georgia politicians including Governor Ernest Vandiver, felt that the state could not afford to close the schools. Next, he speaks about the Sibley Commission. He maintains that, although he was rumored to have been the "father" of the commission, it was not his idea; he was merely attached to it because he was a young and independent legislator. Busbee then describes the hearings held across Georgia by the commission regarding public education. Finally, he states that the hearings functioned as a "cooling-off period" for the impassioned citizens of Georgia and praises the process for keeping the schools open.
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