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Page 2—JANUARY 1957—SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS
Oklahoma Desegregation
Listed for 183rd District
Legal Activity
(Continued From Page 1)
court holding that final authority for
approving school district reorganization
plans rests with the state Board of
Education.
Missouri
Kansas City desegregation continued
“smoothly” and quietly after a minor
flareup and threatened student strike
last spring, the Commission on Human
Relations reported. In Webster Groves,
a controversy with some segregation-
desegregation facets continued over
whether the St. Louis suburban com
munity should build one junior high
school or two.
North Carolina
A suit attacking pro-segregation leg
islation adopted last year was filed in
Caswell County as legislators prepared
for the 1957 regular session with the
possibility that the 1955 Pupil Place
ment Act might be reviewed.
Oklahoma
Norman white schools accepted two
Negro students at the high school level
in September, bringing to 183 the num
ber of Oklahoma districts having begun
desegregation, it was learned during
December. A nose count in Oklahoma
City, largest school district in the state,
found that 7 per cent of the city’s 48,116
white students and 15 per cent of the
6,584 Negro children were in mixed
classes.
South Carolina
A white high school band director was
severely beaten by a group of hooded
men who accused him of having made
a pro-integration speech. Otherwise,
racial tensions on the eve of the 1957
legislative session were considerably
less than a year ago. No new major
legislation on the segregation-desegre
gation question was expected. The U.S.
Fourth Circuit Court in a decision or
dering hearing of a Columbia transpor
tation suit linked bus cases with the
education cases by ruling that the
Brown and Bolling cases “left no doubt
that the separate but equal doctrine had
been generally repudiated.”
Tennessee
New outbreaks of violence at Clinton
led to the arrest of 16 pro-segregation
ists under a federal court order and the
temporary closing of the school. Ten
nessee legislators prepared for the 1957
session which will receive proposals for
pupil assignment laws, “free choice” se
lection of schools and measures to
leave to the local school boards the
questions of when and how to end com
pulsory segregation. Associates of Gov.
Frank Clement said the administration
would introduce a program of its own.
Texas
A federal judge in Dallas, holding
that the Supreme Court school segre
gation decisions were based on “modern
psychological knowledge” rather than
law, ruled for a second time that Dallas
schools need not be desegregated at the
present. Still another desegregation suit
was filed in Houston, the nation’s larg
est segregated school district. Eleven
measures and a constitutional amend
ment bearing on the segregation-de-
segregation issue were expected to be
introducd in the state legislature.
Virginia
The U.S. Fourth Circuit Court af
firmed district court orders calling for
an end to segregation in Charlottesville
and Arlington County schools. As the
Pupil Assignment Board authorized by
the legislature last summer went into
operation, state officials and financiers
undertook to show investors that Vir
ginia school bonds are in no way af
fected by anti-integration legislation.
West Virginia
Of 13 colleges and universities re
sponding to questionnaires, eight re
ported declines in Negro enrollment,
four reported increases and one report
ed no change.
NAACP
(Continued From Page 1)
Membership in the NAACP by gov
ernment employes, including teachers,
is unlawful in Louisiana and South
Carolina.
Investigations of the NAACP have
been launched by legislatures or state
government officials in Florida, Geor
gia, South Carolina and Texas, and in
Mississippi the organization presumably
is under surveillance by the State Sov
ereignty Commission, a “watchdog”
body which reports on the activities of
pro-integrationists.
In South Carolina, a legislative com
mittee has been investigating the activ
ities of the NAACP on the campus of
South Carolina State College for Ne
groes.
Virginia, North Carolina and Texas
have laws requiring registration of
groups seeking to influence legislation.
In North Carolina, the NAACP initiated
a test suit against the attorney general
in respect to statutes requiring regis
tration of out-of-state corporations and
lobbying groups.
A number of states have adopted leg
islation bearing on alleged NAACP ac
tivity, including barratry (solicitation of
law suits). At its 1956 session the Vir
ginia General Assembly passed seven
such measures, including one which
creates a legislative committee to in
vestigate the activities and tax-exempt
status of organizations seeking to in
fluence, encourage or promote litiga
tion involving racial relations.
The validity of these measures has
been attacked in federal court actions
brought in behalf of the NAACP and its
Legal Defense and Education Fund.
Legislation
(Continued From Page 1)
out by the courts, or (2) someone comes
up with a way to circumvent them.”
From Georgia, SSN Correspondent
Joseph B. Parham, editor of the Macon
News, wrote, “Several measures which
sponsors believe would strengthen seg
regation defenses have been proposed
for passage at the 1957 session of the
Georgia General Assembly but it is un
likely that all will be passed.” The pro
posals include repeal of the compulsory
attendance law to avoid forced desegre
gation; appropriations for a pro-segre
gation propaganda campaign; appropri
ations to finance migration to other
states of Georgia Negroes who want to
attend integrated schools; and authori
zation for the state’s Law Department
to investigate the internal operations of
the NAACP.
NO AGENCY BACKING
Edgar L. Jones, SSN’s Maryland cor
respondent and editorial writer for the
Baltimore Sun, reported that no legisla
tion bearing on the segregation-desegre
gation question has been proposed by
any state agency or by legislative lead
ers. State Sen. Harry A. Cole, a Balti
more Negro attorney, plans to press for
ratification of the Fourteenth Amend
ment and for other “anti-discrimination”
measures. Private pro-segregation or
ganizations and leaders have proposed
(1) a “free choice” plan providing
white, Negro and mixed schools; (2)
amendment of compulsory attendance
laws so that children would not have to
attend school with children of the other
race; (3) grants for private education to
children who want to escape integrated
public schools; and (4) recognition of
school segregation laws still on the
Maryland books. Local segregation
groups also have suggested measures
providing for popular election of boards
of education, but “prevailing legislative
sentiment appears to be against such a
change.”
SSN Correspondent Robert Lasch in
Missouri, editorial writer for the St.
Louis Post-Dispatch, reported: “Judging
by the 1955 session record and expecta
tions of legislators, the 1957 Missouri
General Assembly will consider no leg
islation directed against desegregation of
schools, but probably will deal with leg
islation directed against discrimination
in schools and elsewhere . . .
“The most serious racial question
likely to come up is the establishment
of a state human relations commission
—a modified and restrained FEPC—au
thorized to investigate complaints of dis
crimination in emnloyment, education
and any other field.”
Jay Jenkins, North Carolina corre
spondent for SSN and capital corre
spondent for the Charlotte Observer, re
ported: “It is possible the administra
tion may ask the legislature to take a
new look at the 1955 Puoil Assignment
Act, in view of a Fourth Circuit Court of
Appeals decision which bears on it.”
However, this “is bv no means a cer
tainty. Some legislative leaders said
they fear any effort to tamper with pres
ent school legislation would open the
door for more extreme proposals. If
that view prevails, the assignment act
would be left alone and efforts would be
made to blockade any new school legis
lation. Some new legislation, proposed
by individual legislators, is exDected to
be introduced at the forthcoming ses
sion.”
SSN’s Oklahoma Correspondent,
Leonard Jackson, staff writer for the
Oklahoma City Times, wrote: “There
appears to be no move in Oklahoma to
go beyond the legislative and constitu
tional actions taken in early 1955 to end
segregation in the public schools of the
state.” This consisted largely of budget
ary and fiscal revision placing the cost
burden of maintaining segregated school
and transoortation facilities on the lo
calities. “While there is a complaint now
and then from officials of districts which
have chosen to maintain separate
schools, despite the greater cost, there
is no agitation for legislative change.”
From South Carolina, SSN Corre
spondent W. D. Workman Jr., special
capital correspondent, reported: “South
Carolina’s Special Segregation Commit
tee indicates it will have no major legis
lation to recommend to the General As
sembly when the 1957 session begins on
Jan. 8. The committee chairman, State
Sen. Marion L. Gressette of Calhoun
County, points out that the committee
has sought all along to cope with situa
tions as they arise, and has not dis
closed its plans for developments which
have not yet occurred and may not oc
cur.
“There have been fewer declarations
by individuals this year of proposed bills
aimed at preserving segregation, or at
censuring integrationists. For one thing,
the legislature did such a thorough job
along that line last session that little
more can be done under prevailing cir
cumstances.”
Tennessee SSN Correspondent—Wal
lace Westfeldt, staff writer for the Nash
ville Tennessean, reported that political
observers believe “the first order of bus
iness for the 1957 session of the General
Assembly will be consideration of bills
to retain some form of educational seg
regation in the state.” Two programs
thus far have been advanced, both in
cluding pupil assignment and “free
choice” features.
On Dec. 31, a top aide of Gov. Frank
G. Clement said a school segregation
bill will be introduced with administra
tion support. While details were not
disclosed, it was reported that the bill
will give local school boards authority
to assign pupils and teachers in the
schools under their control.
Richard Morehead, SSN correspond
ent in Texas and capital correspondent
for the Dallas Morning News, reported
that nine proposals will be introduced
covering most or all of the 20 points in
the recommendations of the Statewide
Advisory Committee on Segregation.
These included pupil assignment, local
referendum before desegregation is be
gun in a locality, use of funds for de
segregated schools only after approval of
the voters in the district; revision of the
compulsory attendance law; grants in
aid for private education and restora
tion of the bi-racial pattern of educa
tion as it existed prior to 1954; and a
proposed amendment to the U. S. consti
tution calling for federal action only
when local and state agencies fail to
carry out their duties.
The measures will be sponsored by
State Rep. Jerry Sadler of Percilla. He
also has two bills aimed at NAACP
membership and at organizations whose
main activity is promoting—or opposing
—integration.
“Some observers believe that a strong
effort will be made to set up local and
state procedures for integration, rather
than depending solely on federal court
rulings,” Morehead added.
From West Virginia, SSN Correspond
ent Thomas F. Stafford, assistant to the
editor of the Charleston Gazette, re
ported that conversations with adminis
tration and legislative leaders indicated
“no legislation dealing with the school
segregation-desegregation issue is being
contemplated at the legislative session
beginning Jan. 9. If any such bills are
coming up, they evidently will be from
members and at the session’s opening
will be devoid of leadership support.”
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.
^nother Oklahoma school district has
been reported quietly integrated
(see “School Boards and Schoolmen”),
while state officials have been lauded
for the progress of Sooner desegrega
tion (see “What They Say” and “In
the Colleges”).
But there appeared in December lo
calized frictions which Negro leaders
promised to deal with through court
action when legal counsel is available.
(See “What They Say.”)
Disclosure that two Negro students
have been attending a white high school
in Norman, home of the University of
Oklahoma, since September brings to
183 the number of districts in the state
known to have integrated the races in
the classroom. Enrollments in those dis
tricts total 242,681 white children and
24,422 Negro youngsters, according to
Southern School News estimates.
The two students are a brother and
sister from a Negro family living in
the Stella district, northeast of Norman.
The Stella school was integrated in
1955-56 but has only eight grades. Pre
viously the Negroes, after finishing
there, have been transferred to Dunbar
High School at Shawnee in neighbor
ing Pottawatomie County. Stella lies
about half-way between Norman and
Shawnee.
LACKED PAPERS
In September 1955, a ninth-grade
Negro boy from Stella sought admission
to Norman Junior High School but was
rejected because of incorrect procedure.
The Norman superintendent, J. Don
Garrison, explained at the time the
youth was already legally transferred
to Shawnee and it was too late (the
deadline is May 15 each year) to change
it. He insisted the youth would have
been admitted if he had presented prop
er transfer papers.
Later that month the state board of
education granted emergency transfers
for three Stella Negroes into the Nor
man district, despite officials’ protest
there was no room for additional stu
dents because of an already bulging
enrollment. However, the three Negroes
did not enter Norman schools last year,
Garrison said.
This fall a sophomore Negro boy and
his sister, a junior, presented legal
transfers into Norman and were en
rolled without fanfare. B. Roy Daniel,
Norman High School principal, said
their presence was not publicized be
cause “we didn’t want the kids to get
the idea there was anything unusual
about it.” The Norman school system
has a total membership of 4,250 pupils.
FINANCIAL OBSTACLE
A minor financial obstacle also had to
be overcome before the Stella Negroes
could enroll at Norman. The Stella dis
trict, though lying within the Norman
school system’s transportation area, was
six miles from the latter’s school bus
route. The two districts worked out an
arrangement whereby students from
Stella are transported the six miles by
their own district and picked up by a
Norman school bus for the ride into
town. The Stella district receives credit
in state transportation reimbursement
for that mileage.
In Oklahoma City a recent “nose
count” by the board of education re
search department shows 1,069 Negr 0
pupils are attending classes with 3,197 r
white students in 10 different integrated
buildings in the capital. In two of them
—Creston Hills and Culbertson ele
mentary schools—the Negroes are in the ’
majority. Creston Hills has only eight
white students with 324 Negroes. At
Culbertson the races are almost evenly
divided, with 216 whites and 224 Ne
groes.
AWAY FROM FRINGE
Although the number of integrated '
schools is more than reported hitherto,
board of education officials pointed out
two of the buildings are located away
from the fringe residential area. At »
Bryan school the membership is lim
ited to handicapped children, and it has
57 white pupils and six Negroes en
rolled. Another elementary school, Em- i
erson, has three Negroes, but all are in
special classes conducted there.
Of the other elementary schools Lin
coln has 143 Negroes with 385 whites; ,
Riverside, 16 Negroes with 155 whites;
and Walnut Grove, 32 Negroes with 80
whites.
More than a third of the students
at Webster Junior High School, on the
near east side, are Negroes—143 to 250.
Franklin Junior High School has 19
Negroes with 390 whites, and Central
High School has 159 Negro pupils out of
a total membership of 1,466.
Despite the smoothness with which
Oklahoma City public schools have de
segregated, physical integration is small '
compared with total membership. The
system has 54,700 pupils, of which 48,116
are white and 6,584 are Negro. Thus,
less than 7 per cent of the whites and
about 15 per cent of the Negroes are
attending classes in integrated build
ings.
A resolution commending state offi
cials for the efforts they put forth in
carrying out the desegregation rulings
of the U.S. Supreme Court was adopted
by the Oklahoma branch of the National (
Association for the Advancement of
Colored People. The resolution singled
out Gov. Raymond Gary, Mac Q. Wil
liamson, the attorney general, and Dr.
Oliver Hodge, the state superintendent
of public instruction.
The NAACP meeting, held in Lawton,
also brought discussion of situations
which leaders said will require lesal
action. Jimmy Stewart, Oklahoma City
branch president and a director of the
(Continued On Next Page)
Types of Major Legislation Adopted Before 1957
Legislation Authorizing or Requiring:
Ala. Ark.
Fla.
Ga.
La.
Miss.
N.C.
s.c.
Va.
Abolition of schools by (L)egislation
Local (O)ption
*
L
LO
0
L
O
Grants for private education
X
X
X
Sale or lease of school facilities
X
X
X
X
Use of public funds for segregated schools only
X
X
X
X
Pupil assignment
X t
X
X
X
Compulsory attendance (R)epeal
(M)odification
M
M
R
R
M
Extraordinary powers for Governor
X
X
X
Teacher employment law (A)bolition
(M)odification
M
M
M
M
A
A
Restrictions on or probe of NAACP
X
X
X
X
X
X
“Good Character” college registration certificate
X
Withdrawal of permission to sue
X
Interposition, Nullification, Protest
x t
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Oklahoma is the only state in the region to have taken legislative or constitutional action to make possible the de
segregation process. In 1955 an amendment was approved eliminating separate financing for white and Negro school
thus placing the burden of maintaining separate schools on the localities. Legislation adopted that year repealed the
code section prohibiting maintenance of schools attended by both white and Negro students, while other acts dealt
with budgetary changes required m the transition from a seereantpri tr, „„„ , , , ’ c
*A constitutional amendment ratified in 1956 removed from the Alabama ConstitiitinrTu^ 3 ^ SyS , te . m °f v , e ?'?vp nar ate schools
shall be provided for white and colored children” and replaced it wfth C statement * l"* 10 ? 1 ?‘ atl " g ^L-fn^haU be con
strued as creating or recognizing any right to education or training at public exm.nsV” Th n °u hm J m Is” m abolishing
the requirement that the state maintain public schools; (2) abolishing the requirement fp h ' S ~ 3S b * e ? m *- er P rete ^ as „ ( avin g un
affected either the provisions for public and/or segregated schools. requirement for segregated schools; and (3) leaving
tThese provisions were enacted by the voters in a referendum in 1956 Wn ,. . , act.
which has the force of legislation, or by the interposition resolution, though enabling whw- 15 required °” the P up1 ' a g . 47 direct
ing the legislature to “nullify" the Supreme Court school segregation decSons ® leglslatlon ls required by Amendment 47 a