About Southern school news. (Nashville, Tenn.) 1954-1965 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 1955)
SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS—Jan. 6, 1955—PAGE 13 Oklahoma OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. JCLAHOMA maintained its official “wait and see” attitude on school desegregation in December, pending U S. Supreme Court instructions ex pected in the spring. But several sounding boards were humming with pre-integration plans and speculation. Educators sounded out legislators on a proposed complete overhaul of state school finances, including mer ger of white and Negro education budgets for the first time. Community groups continued to sound out gen eral public reactions, and white and Negro teen-agers were sounding out each other. On the eve of the new legislative session (opening Jan. 4), the Okla homa Education Association unveiled its complete financial proposal in final form. The suggested plan involves multiple constitutional changes that the legislature will be asked to sub mit to state voters. The desired joint resolution has been drawn, but it was not yet known whether the amendment measure will enter the legislative mill by the au thorship or the committee route. Only one change relates directly to the question of segregated schools. The new measure would wipe out the dual budget system mandatory un der present Oklahoma law (discussed in detail in September and Decem ber issues of Southern School News). NEW LEVY PROPOSED Both the OEA and the Oklahoma Association of Negro Teachers sug gest a new 5-mill countywide ad va lorem tax, to replace the total of 4 mills now levied countywide each year for Negro school operation and building funds. Negro schools thus would become a part of each local district’s financial program in all respects. Negro school bond issues, now submitted to coun tywide elections, would be voted upon only in the respective school districts, under the identical system now used for majority schools. The reasons for a new law wiping out the old two-budget system have not been publicly questioned. But OEA officials expect some legislative tinkering with the actual financial blueprint before it is turned over to state voters. Merging finances would not in itself abolish segregated education in Okla homa, OEA Executive Secretary Ferman Phillips pointed out. “If it should pass as here presented, the change would merely put Oklahoma in a position to handle any financial situation arising when and if we do get Supreme Court orders to com bine the school systems,” he said. Only the financial structure would need changing by a constitutional amendment approved by the voters, educators believe. Other state constitution bans, for bidding joint schooling and setting forth penalties for allowing mixed attendance, would be “just so much deadwood” if the Supreme Court flatly declares such laws unconstitu tional, Phillips said. Presumably, those clauses could be eliminated later by legislative enactment. OTHER PROPOSALS The 5-mill levy is dovetailed with four other school finance proposals hammered out over a year’s period by an OEA legislative committee headed by George Roberts of Bartles ville. Education leaders have openly welcomed the chance to seek a more efficient and unified structure. The whole proposal is now being circulated quietly on a county-by county contact basis, but has not been officially pressed upon legisla tors. No alternative proposals have been publicly advanced, although Gov.-elect Raymond Gary is known to have some ideas of his own on school financing. His campaign plat form commits him to holding down taxes. Since Oklahoma’s school finance system is unique, and since it has been spotlighted by all affected agen cies as the biggest single stumbling block to school integration, an out line of present and proposed systems may be of value here. In skeleton form, the picture is as follows: White schools now have these sources of local tax income: At least 5 operating mills from the 20 general fund mills divided among school districts, counties and towns. An added 15-mill levy, optional by district vote. An annual 5-mill building levy, op tional by district vote. Negro schools have these two sources: A 3-mill operating levy and a 1- mill building levy, annually assessed county wide and restricted entirely to separate school use regardless of the number of potential Negro students in that county. Possible total revenue for all schools: 29 mills. Taxes newly-proposed for all schools: A flat 20 operating mills available to each district school board without public election, on certification of need. An added millage obligation op tional with district patrons in any amount they might approve by ma jority vote. An annual 5-mill building levy. The 5-mill “integration levy.” Possible total: At least 30 mills. NEW STATE HELP All school districts now receive a per capita share of the annual earn ings from Oklahoma’s state school land fund for general budget use. The fund totals some 60 million dol lars, and yielded $1,721,000 in interest and income last year for common school distribution. The OEA now seeks to switch all those earnings into a state public common school building equalization fund, up to a ceiling of three million dollars. A state school building au thority created in the same amend ment would make grants to help local districts build badly-needed class rooms. After a district had assumed the maximum 10 per cent debt legally permitted, the authority could grant construction money at the rate of $400 per pupil. Sites and equipment, as well as actual construction, could be involved. A state public school facility sur vey released in December projects a need for $209,970,108 worth of new classrooms by 1959-60, contrasted with revenue resources probably to taling only $81,439,785 for that period. The new state building fund and the higher ceiling on local indebtedness are seen as fillers for that gap. TEACHER CONTRACTS Oklahoma law now permits only one-year contracts between school boards and their teachers and ad ministrators. The new proposal would permit boards to hire personnel “for periods extending beyond the cur rent fiscal year, under such condi tions and limitations as shall be pre scribed by the legislature.” An official plea for time to enact these, or similar measures, is already on file before the Supreme Court, in a brief submitted by Mac Q. Wil liamson, Oklahoma attorney general. Williamson has announced he will appear in person at high court hear ings, to speak for Oklahoma as a friend of the court. Meanwhile, public discussion and information efforts continued among community agencies. Among groups tackling the question was a cross- section of Oklahoma City teen-agers. Some 150 white and Negro youths, drawn from all public high schools and the two Catholic high schools, converged at the Negro high school here for an all-afternoon integra tion workshop. Sponsoring agencies included the YMCA, YWCA, Urban League, National Conference of Christians and Jews, and the Okla homa City Council of Churches. Adult advisors sat in on each small group’s session, but let student lead ers guide the discussion. Six suggested questions were listed on the information sheet given each delegate. Intended as guides to start conversation rolling, the topics ranged from “What Is My Responsibility in School Integration?” to “What About Extra-Curricular Activities?” Some of their conclusions: Negroes have always been unfair ly treated; the present generation faces the job of undoing the injus tices; teen-agers must convince adults the job can be done; and the most promising immediate hope lies in schools and churches. All six discussion groups asked for other chances to hold interracial meetings, in special conferences as well as planned school and church “exchange” activities. The teen-agers voted to use work shop chairmen and the group leaders and recorders as a permanent “youth action committee” to chart some ways in which students themselves can work toward smooth integration. Sara Mae Wiley, Classen high school, and William Walker, Douglass high school, continued as co-chair men. The first of the committee’s monthly meetings yielded these rec ommendations: 1. Opening of the Inter-City Stu dent Council to representatives from “all high schools.” The inter-city council now includes only elected representatives from white public high schools in Oklahoma City and suburban Midwest City and Putnam City. The proposal to invite Douglass delegates, and Catholic representa tives, if feasible, has not yet been re layed to the council’s membership for action. Douglass high school ad ministrators indicated their council will welcome whatever invitation may be extended. 2. Preparation of a series of inte gration information programs for the “Town Hall” hour carried on the public school system’s FM radio sta tion. Mrs. Elaine Tucker, station di rector, had previously offered time and advisory service for such a series. 3. Resolution to encourage inter racial program for the special high school assemblies traditionally held during National Brotherhood week in February. Exchange speakers at the various schools were suggested. Virginia RICHMOND, Va. ^HURCH groups figured promin ently in segregation issue devel opments in Virginia during Decem ber, a month which also saw the chartering here of a national organ ization concerned over effects of the Supreme Court’s anti-segregation ruling. The new organization, formed by a group of residents of the Washing ton, D.C., metropolitan area and chartered by the State Corporation Commission on Dec. 15, is National Protective Individual Rights, Inc. The charter lists the group’s pur poses as: ?°.foster. Protect and maintain all rights citizens and states as guaranteed by the constitution of the United States. 1 ^° maintain all social customs now en- ® d practiced by residents of the United States. Officers are Paul S. Robertson of exandria, president; Mrs. Bretie S. olbach of Washington, vice-presi- . nt > and Charles J. Dienelt of Wash- ntgton, secretary-treasurer. • Benjamin Simmons of Washing - n . counsel for the group, told re porters: sh j ** (the segregation issue) th° U t ° 6 to tbe determination of r stat ® s t° accomplish integration— to er . j 311 se *- any deadline—in order pi=f VC>1 d violence. We respect the de- sav ° n the Supreme Court, but we the ? , a t*° n should be left up to s and individual communi ty.;!, 1? no P s ycbological complex torcin 6 CI Jf atet ^ for white children by night ” “ lem into integration over- direct ^* lmons sa id the present seven in th °«i t ^ le organization all live brace Was (nngton area, which em- and of nea rby Virginia Schoot a ^ an d. He told Southern e Xband j E ^ S ^ at the board will be will in l j 6r *° ^ members and other st°t 6 re P resen tatives from ates as the organization sets up chapters in those states. He de clined to give out any figures as to present membership. Mr. Simmons also told Southern School News that every effort would be made to keep any undesirable per sons out of the organization. He said a group may have “a million” repu table people in it and only one dis reputable one, but that the “left-wing press” would focus all attention on the disreputable one. Before approving the organization’s charter, the Corporation Commission ordered deleted a paragraph which listed one of the group’s purposes as: “To protect areas occupied by certain races against encroachment of other races or members of other races, which result in nonstability of real estate in said areas, except to mem bers of one race.” National Protective Individual Rights, Inc., is the second group char tered in Virginia as an indirect re sult of the Supreme Court’s anti segregation decision. The other, the Defenders of State Sovereignty and Individual Liberties, which received its charter in October, is strongly op posed to racial integration in the schools. It was organized by residents of southside Virginia, where the Ne gro population is heavy. BAPTISTS DISAGREE Ten Baptist churches in Virginia have notified the state’s school seg regation study commission that they disagree with the stand taken by the Baptist General Association of Vir ginia on the segregation question. The association, meeting in Norfolk in November, adopted a resolution which said, in part: We accept the fact that, regardless of our own personal views, the decision of the United States Supreme Court declar ing segregation of races in our public schools to be unconstitutional is the su preme law of the land, which does not violate any cardinal principle of our re ligion, and as Christian citizens we should abide by this law. Last month the congregation of Union Baptist Church of Achilles, Gloucester County (a county in which Negroes account for about 30 per cent of the school enrollment) adopted a resolution “disclaiming” the association’s position. The Union resolution said the association had “approved the abolition” of segrega tion. The Scottsville Baptist Church of Albemarle County (a county with 21 per cent Negro school enrollment) adopted a resolution declaring that integration “is against the best inter est and contrary to the wishes of the great majority of Virginians” and adding: “We feel that we should rise up all over the Southland and be heard at this time in order that this lawless decision not be attempted.” Seven Baptist churches in Sussex County (67 per cent Negro public school enrollment) and one in Em poria, Greensville County (64 per cent Negro enrollment) also have an nounced opposition to the associa tion’s stand on integration. The Sus sex churches are Elam, Antioch, Reidville, Newville, Sappony, Wake field, and High Hill, and the one in Emporia is the Calvary Baptist Brotherhood. The Presbyterian Outlook, denom inational paper published here, has told its readers that “the church and ministers in general and the Presby terian Church in particular were given a rough time of it at the recent hearing on segregation in Virginia,” conducted by the Commission on Public Education on Nov. 15. The paper said there was “bitter feeling manifested toward ministers and churches who dared say anything ... favorable toward non-segrega tion.” Representatives of the Presby terian Synod of Virginia appeared at the hearing to report on an anti segregation resolution adopted by that body, but some individual Pres byterians who were appearing before the commission expressed disagree ment with the Synod’s views and others have expressed similar dis agreement in letters to newspaper editors. An editorial in the Presbyterian Outlook, which is edited by the Rev. Aubrey N. Brown, referred to the commission as “a politically con scious group appointed for precon ceived purposes to try to circumvent the Supreme Court.” The commission consists of 32 men, all members of the General Assembly, who were ap pointed by Gov. Thomas B. Stanley. The editorial declared: The stand of ministers and church groups on this subject throughout the South is proving to be a troublesome issue to the politicians and some others. They tell churchmen to mind their own business —obviously with no idea as to what the church’s business is. They warn them to keep out of politics, but they are not greatly concerned about this if the church groups will just take a strong stand on their side. Like the Hitlers who have risen on authoritarian horizons, they find they can handle or pressure most of the groups of our society by threats or reprisals, but when they find a prophetic church on their hands, they just don’t know what to do with the prophets. Lt.-Gov. A. E. S. Stephens, speak ing on Dec. 4 to the Charles City- New Kent 100-Bushel Com and Pas ture Club, declared that Virginia’s system of free public education should be abandoned only as a last resort. He said many persons would not receive an education if it were not for the public schools, and he warned that if the schools are abol ished, the state might lose “the things we hold dear.” There have been sug gestions that the public school sys tem be abolished if necessary to prevent integration. During December a controversy arose in Albemarle County over ac tion of the county Council of Parent- Teacher Associations in inaugurating a series of weekly radio programs for discussions of young people’s problems. The series began with a panel dis cussion participated in by three stu dents from a white high school and three from a Negro high school. At a subsequent meeting of the county school board, two members, E. J. Oglesby of the Rivanna Magisterial District and F. E. Paullett of Scotts ville, asked that the record show their disapproval of the biracial dis cussions. Mr. Oglesby described the program as “an integration of school activi ties, and he added that he was “in favor of not having any integration.” But Board Member Charles K. Woltz of Charlottesville District said he had taken the position that a PTA matter was not the school board’s affair. “If we get to the point where the school board tells the PTAs what to do, we’ve destroyed their usefulness,” Mr. Woltz declared. Each of the subsequent programs in the series has included only stu dents from one school, so Negroes and whites have not participated in them together. Meanwhile, the Commission on Public Education has held no fur ther meetings since its Nov. 15 pub lic hearing and no plans for any meetings have been announced. OTHER DEVELOPMENTS Other recent developments in Vir ginia related to racial relations in general have included the following: Dr. John M. Ellison, president of Virginia Union University, has be come the first Negro to be elected to head the Richmond Ministers Asso ciation, a bi-racial Protestant organi zation. The association was formed in the spring of 1953 by the merger of separate white and Negro minis tem’ groups. Dr. Ellison, a Baptist, will be installed on Jan. 24. Brantley Barr, a deacon in the First Baptist Church of Danville and trust officer in a bank of that city, was fined $25 in the Danville Trial Jus tice Court on a breach of the peace charge. He was charged with inter fering with John Tate, a news pho tographer, who was taking pictures of the crowd leaving the church on Thanksgiving Day following a bi racial service in which five white and one Negro congregation participated. The Negro minister, the Rev. L. W. Chase, of High Street Church, de livered the sermon. About 60 per cent of the congregation consisted of Negroes.
