Fort Valley State University’s legacy – Georgia’s American Journey

Founded in 1895, the university has grown into one of Georgia’s most historic historically Black colleges and universities while helping shape generations of leaders, educators and public servants.

FORT VALLEY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Fort Valley State University’s history stretches back to a time when formerly enslaved African Americans sought new opportunities through education just decades after the Civil War.

“I’ve always been impressed by the founders of this institution,” said Dr. Issac Crumbly, associate vice president of career and collaborative programs. “If you really think about it, 1895 you’re talking about not very many years that they were in slavery, and so as a matter of fact, some of the founders were actually born in slavery at that particular time.”

Crumbly said the university was founded during a period when African Americans viewed education as the pathway to advancement and opportunity.

“As I try to walk through this in my mind, I think about what it must’ve been like for African Americans coming out of the Civil War,” Crumbly said. “I could imagine them sitting around and saying you know if our kids are to be anything, they really need to be educated.”

Like many HBCUs, Fort Valley State faced major challenges during segregation and years of unequal funding.

“The challenges we have faced have been that we are a historically black university in a state that initially was focused only on education for individuals who did not look like us,” said Dr. Berlethia J. Pitts, professor of English. “The first issue we faced would’ve been systemic racism. How we overcame that is that we’ve always been a people to be self-resilient.”

Pitts said that resilience helped build the university into what it is today.

“We are the only 1890 land grant institution in Georgia,” Pitts said. “Additionally, the individuals who founded this university were willing to use their own hands to build this campus so some of the buildings on this campus were raised from the foundation up by our scholars, by the faculty and by the staff.”

The university traces its leadership back to founder John W. Davison, who worked to create educational opportunities for African Americans in Middle Georgia.

“The leadership started with John W Davison, who is our premier founder,” Pitts said. “Wanting to establish an institution for individuals of African American descent, the leadership started with him.”

More than a century later, university leaders say Fort Valley State’s impact can be seen across the country through its alumni.

“We have individuals who are running corporations, running countries,” Pitts said. “One of our former alumni Ms. Barbara Williams was formally the mayor of Fort Valley city. We have other individuals who are senators who are representatives who are leading in governmental and judicial positions.”

As America approaches its 250th anniversary, Pitts said Fort Valley State’s story reflects a larger story of progress and empowerment in the United States.

“We are one of the few institutions of African American HBCUs in which we were established by individuals who had recently come out of enslavement,” Pitts said. “So that in itself shows the story of empowerment.”