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SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS—APRIL I960—PAGE 5 TENNESSEE Board Rejects Demands for Desegregation NASHVILLE. Term " ...uu * .1 1 r NASHVILLE, Term, r r , HE Chattanooga Board of -*■ Education rejected demands by Negro parents for total imme diate desegregation of the city schools. The March 7 action made it practically certain a desegrega tion suit will soon be filed in that city. (See “School Boards and Schoolmen.”) Nashville School Supt. W. H. Oliver told the U.S. Civil Rights Commission March 22 that Nash ville’s grade-a-year desegregation plan is working smoothly and sat isfactorily. He was one of 17 school officials who took part in the commission’s second annual conference on desegregation prob lems at Gatlinburg, Tenn. (See “School Boards and Schoolmen.”) Further praise for the Nashville plan came as a Knoxville newspaper an nounced it has learned that the school board there will propose a similar plan to the federal court April 8. The board is under instructions from Judge Rob ert L. Taylor to come up with a deseg regation plan by that date. (See “Legal Action.”) Lunch counter, restaurant and library sit-ins by students continued to dom inate the news in Tennessee. While special bi-racial groups sought solutions in Nashville and Memphis, Gov. Buford Ellington charged the Columbia Broad casting System with “instigating” a Nashville sit-in March 25. The network immediately denied staging the affair and demanded an apology. (See “Com munity Action.”) A separate issue was raised when Vanderbilt University expelled the Rev. James M. Lawson Jr., a Negro, from its divinity school for his actions and state ments in connection with the sit-ins. The action stirred a nationwide storm of protest and Lawson received offers of scholarships at Yale and other divinity schools. (See “In The Colleges”) Circuit Judge Andrew T. Taylor of Jackson, a candidate for the U.S. Senate against Sen. Estes Kefauver, attacked civil rights legislation now pending be fore Congress and said he is “unalter ably opposed” to any similar bills. Meanwhile in Fayette county, the three- member election commission and the registrar of voters turned in their re signations, complaining they had been “harrassed” in their duties by the Fed eral Bureau of Investigation. (See “Political Activity.”) SCHOOL BOARDS AND SCHOOLMEN The Chattanooga Board of Education rejected on March 7 a demand by three Negro parents that total integration be started in the city schools immediately. The board said, in a prepared state ment, that any other decision would be premature and to the detriment of “the vast majority of white and Negro chil dren.” It seemed certain that the parents will file suit against the board to compel de segregation of the schools. They are James R. Mapp, president of the Chatta nooga branch of the National Assn, for the Advancement of Colored People, Mrs. Josephine Maxey and the Rev. H. H. Kimon. Before writing their letter Feb. 24 de manding total integration, the parents had attempted to enroll four of their children at Glenwood School, an all- white school. They requested the chil dren be admitted there because of crowded conditions at the Orchard Knob and East Fifth Street schools they had been attending. The school board said it had “never questioned the legality of the constitu tional principles enunciated by the Su preme Court, although individual mem bers of the board may have questioned the wisdom of the decision.” IN FIRST STAGE “The court recognized that implemen tation of these principles would require the solution of varied problems,” the board continued. “It placed upon the school board the responsibility for elucidating, assessing and solving them. In attempting to make the problems clear to the community, we are in the first stage of compliance with the Su preme Court’s decision. This step has not been completed and cannot be com pleted by the school board alone. “The board of education has been delegated the responsibility for public education in this community. We are convinced that a substantial majority of Tennessee Segregation -Desegregation Status Number of districts, 153: 142 biracial; 4 desegregated. Total state enrollment: 668,300 white; 146,700 Negro. Enrollment of desegregated districts: 38,325 white; 13,752 Negro. Enrollment of 13 desegregated schools (est.): 7,982 white; 169 Negro. Enrollment by desegregated districts and by schools: Anderson County White Negro 7,620 white, 28 Negro Clinton High 883 11 Nashville 17,522 white, 12,181 Negro Buena Vista Elem. 320 9 Caldwell Elem. 953 1 Clemons Elem. 453 4 Fall Elem. 358 5 Fehr Elem. 367 6 Glenn Elem. 470 8 Jones Elem. 417 8 Tarbox Elem. 137 2 Warner Elem. 883 1 Oak Ridge 6,833 white, 393 Negro* Oak Ridge High* 1,219 40 Robertsville Jr. High* 968 60 Rutherford County 6,350 white, 1,150 Negro Coleman Elem. 554 14 TOTALS 7.982 169 "Oak Ridge enrollment by races is estimated. Records are not separated the people we serve strongly prefer the continuation of our schools in accord ance with the historical pattern. We are also fully aware that a substantial min ority of the community desires com pliance with the Supreme Court’s de cision. “Ordinarily the wishes of the majority would be a clear directive to the school board. When the wishes of the majority are in direct conflict with the Constitu tion of the United States, we know that the Constitution must somehow prevail. There could be no law if each commun ity had the right to interpret the Con- stitution in its own way. “Your school board has attempted to elucidate the problems and will con tinue in its efforts. We have met many long hours with various groups—pas tors, business leaders, a representative union group, Negro groups—always working toward understanding of the court’s action and its significance to the community. “We earnestly seek your understand ing.” PLAN CALLED SATISFACTORY In Gatlinburg, the U.S. Civil Rights Commission was told March 22 that Nashville’s grade-a-year plan for school desegregation is working smoothly and satisfactorily. W. H. Oliver, superintendent of Nash ville schools, told the commission’s sec ond annual conference on desegregation problems that Nashville officials had tried their best to administer the plan “honestly, fairly and with integrity.” “We don’t say it is the best plan for any other city,” he said, “but we do say it is the best plan for ours.” Commission Chairman John A. Han nah called Oliver’s report “very en couraging,” and other Southern educa tors indicated they were impressed with Nashville’s plan. 13 PER CENT Oliver said that 42 Negro students are now attending integrated schools in the first three grades under the plan. They represent about 13 per cent of the 317 who are eligible to attend integrated schools, he said, the others having taken advantage of the plan’s transfer pro vision to attend schools where their race is in the majority. The superintendent told the commis sion there is no appreciable difference in the academic performances of the Ne gro children and their white class mates. Oliver, who also appeared at the com mission’s first educational conference in Nashville last year, was the only school official to take part in both meetings. (For further details of the conference, see separate story, Page 1.) The Knoxville Board of Education will propose a desegregation plan similar to Nashville’s grade-a-year plan when it comes into federal court April 8, the Knoxville News-Sentinel reported March 27. The paper said it had learned that the board had studied many different plans but had agreed the Nashville plan would be most satisfactory. Among the other plans considered were the Ala bama and North Carolina pupil place ment plans under which a student must apply for admission to a particular school. Judge Robert L. Taylor told the board to bring a desegregation plan into court by April 8. Dr. John Burkhart, board chairman, has refused to divulge what plan, if any, the board has agreed on, but add ed: “I believe it would be impossible to come up with a brand-new plan, be cause every conceivable arrangement has already been proposed and some of them adopted.” Student-led sit-ins continued spo radically in two cities during the month and special bi-racial committees in Memphis and Nashville tried to work out acceptable solutions. A dramatic climax was provided March 25 when Gov. Buford Ellington charged that a Nashville sit-in that day had been “instigated and planned by, and staged for the convenience of the Columbia Broadcasting System.” In a prepared statement, the governor termed the alleged network action “un questionably the most irresponsible piece of journalistic trickery I have ever heard of.” CBS officials from New York to Nash ville immediately denied the charges and the following day CBS President Frank Stanton wired Ellington demand ing an apology. Ellington replied: “I have nothing to retract and nothing for which to apolo gize.” PREPARING FILM The governor’s charges were appar ently touched off by the presence in Nashville of two CBS documentary camera teams who were preparing a film called “Anatomy of a Demonstra tion.” It is scheduled for showing April 24. Richard McCutchen, producer of the film, acknowledged his cameramen had sat in on a meeting from which other members of the press were barred, but denied emphatically that he had any prior knowledge of the sit-in demon stration which broke a three-week truce. BI-RACIAL GROUP NAMED Hopes for an acceptable solution to the sit-in problem in Nashville were pinned on a seven-man bi-racial com mittee appointed by Mayor Ben West March 3 at the urging of many religious and civic groups. As the committee began discussions with student leaders from Fisk and Ten nessee A&I State universities and American Baptist Theological Semi- nary, the students agreed unofficially to call off the sit-ins to give the committee a chance to work. When it still had not reported any thing three weeks later, however, they resumed the sit-ins. The committee im mediately issued a statement through one of its Negro members, President Stephen J. Wright of Fisk, deploring the new sit-ins and calling for “public patience.” “The committee assumed its duties in good faith and has labored diligently and as speedily as such a body could,” the statement said. “Moreover, the com mittee had hoped to furnish the mayor with a report at the close of its meeting today (March 26). “The committee now finds this impos sible, but is willing to continue its la bors toward a solution. Further, the committee believes that if any progress is to be made there must be concessions on the part of all parties concerned.” One white restaurant, the Post House restaurant in the Greyhound Bus ter minal, did begin serving Negroes during the month. The restaurant at the Nash ville airport has been desegregated for several years as have cafeterias in many Nashville colleges and the Methodist Board of Education. The ire of the Negro community was aroused by new charges filed against 79 Negro students originally arrested in the sit-ins Feb. 27 and by 67 additional arrests made during the month. Many of the students have drawn fines of $50 for disorderly conduct, but still face state charges of conspiracy to interfere with trade and commerce. VISIT LIBRARIES In Memphis, a dozen young Negroes staged a sit-in at McLellan’s variety store March 18 but were not arrested. The following day, however, 41 Negroes, including five newspapermen, were ar rested when they attempted to use the facilities of two public libraries. The students who took part in the demonstrations came from Owen and Le Moyne colleges and some Memphis business schools, as well as two Negro newspapers. Thirty-eight of the demonstrators later drew fines ranging from $25 to $50 in city court, where Judge Beverly Boushe insisted segregation was “not an issue” in the case. He said the fines were imposed for violation of a city ordinance and had nothing to do with race. Later the same day 23 more Negroes were arrested at Brooks Memorial Art Gallery and one of the libraries. All were students at LeMoyne. EXCHANGE IDEAS On March 25, the Memphis City Com mission met with members of the Mem phis Committee on Community Rela tions, a biracial group, to discuss the sit-ins. Both Mayor Henry Loeb and Dr. Paul Tudor Jones, president of the committee, said the two groups had “ex changed ideas” in an atmosphere of good will and had agreed to meet again. The committee later issued a state ment calling for “planned, voluntary and constructive change” in the Mem phis community. “We believe this is necessary for the ultimate welfare of our community,” the statement said. “We feel that the Negro segment of our population is in adequately represented in local govern ment and toward the end of rectifying this condition, we respectfully request that the City Commission give consid eration to the appointment of qualified Negroes to membership on the various boards and agencies which operate un der the jurisdiction of the commission.” A separate issue was raised by tht Nashville sit-ins when Vanderbilt Uni versity announced the dismissal of the Rev. James M. Lawson Jr., a Negrc student, from its divinity school. Lawson was dismissed March 3 b> the executive committee of the univer sity’s board of trust because of his “strong commitment to a planned cam paign of civil disobedience” in connec tion with the sit-ins. The young minister had not actually taken part in any of the demonstrations himself but had coached students in JAMES M. LAWSON JR. Student’s Ouster Protested South Carolina (Continued From Page 4) “we will not tolerate any such pilgrim ages, assemblages, or demonstrations at the State Capitol Building or anywhere else in South Carolina ” The statement continued: “While initially the incidents were confined to student movements, we now have definite proof that outside, selfish, antagonist groups are taking part . . . We also know that regardless of intent, there can be no point to any further incidents or demonstrations other than to breach the peace and cause violence. “This we will not tolerate. We have had sufficient evidence, in my judgment, from incidents (elsewhere) . . . that re gardless of the purpose, groupings to gether, parades, pilgrimages, sitdowns, silent marches, or whatever they may be characterized, are explosive in nature. We shall not allow such explosive situa tions to develop in South Carolina.” The governor warned whites as well as Negroes, spectators as well as dem onstrators, against congregating or act ing in any manner or in such numbers that might threaten to upset peace and good order. MASSED MARCH Despite the governor’s warning, other demonstrations followed, highlighted by a massed march by Negro students at Orangeburg. Some 350 were arrested following a melee in which tear gas and fire hoses were used to break up the crowd of an estimated 1,000 Negroes. (See “Community Action.”) On the heels of the Orangeburg inci dent and similar developments else where, President Eisenhower comment ed that peaceful assemblages and order ly marching in the streets were “not only constitutional, they have been rec ognized in our country as proper since we have been founded.” The president expressed a desire that bi-racial com mittees be formed in all communities to help solve racial problems. HOLLINGS ANSWERS These drew another statement from Gov. Hollings. Declaring the President “confused both as to the facts and the law,” Hollings said: “We indulged peaceful demonstra tions as long as they remained peaceful and could be maintained peacefully. However, after three weeks of such in cidents in numerous cities of South Carolina, it became perfectly obvious to everyone on the scene in South Caro lina that things were getting out of hand. Demonstrators, even though they carried Bibles, were intent on being jailed and promoting violence, and ob servers were intent on their communi ties not being taken over by national antagonistic groups, even under the guise of the Bible and the national an them. “As governor, with positive and over whelming proof for these conclusions, I could no longer concern myself only with constitutional guarantees of free dom of assembly and redress of griev ances. I had to take cognizance of the explosive nature of these circumstances and assume my primary responsibility for maintaining the public peace . . . One does not need a bi-racial commit tee or conference to determine the re sponsibility and authority of the gover nor and peace officers of South Carolina to maintain the public peace, and we will have no such confusion over law and order in South Carolina . . . “The President and everyone should understand that the measures we have taken are to primarily protect the safe ty of the colored people and he ought not to enter into what he himself has termed ‘a local matter for local author- ‘ty-’ ” # # # techniques of non-violence in special workshops sponsored by the Nashville Christian Leadership Council, a Negro ministers’ group affiliated with the Southern Christian Leadership Council of the Rev. Martin Luther King. The ouster touched off a storm of protest in academic and ministerial cir cles from New England to California as well as in Nashville itself. These were the principal developments: • Chancellor Harvie Branscomb has tened to assure students that Lawson’s expulsion in no way affects the univer sity’s policy of admitting qualified Ne groes. • Lawson’s fellow students at the di vinity school and most of the faculty members signed statements strongly protesting the dismissal and asking that he be reinstated. • The university student senate adopted a resolution upholding the ad ministration’s action in ousting Lawson. • The faculty senate, however, began a study of dismissal procedures with a view toward developing a consistent policy which the university could adopt in future cases of the Lawson type. • Dr. Liston Pope, dean of Yale di vinity school, who spoke at the dedica tion of Vanderbilt divinity school’s new quadrangle March 21, strongly criticized (See TENNESSEE, Page 16)