Newspaper Page Text
SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS—JANUARY 1961—PAGE II
Louisiana
(Continued From Page 10)
member who refused to comply with
jke federally ordered desegregation, did
BO t attend the meeting. He has
shunned other recent meetings on
pounds that legislative actions have
fegally removed the present board
members.
State Board Head
The State Board of Education, which
controls most of the finances of public
education in the state, elected Robert
H. Curry, Shreveport natural gas com
ply executive, as president to succeed
Joseph Davies Jr. of Arabi.
Curry said he believes that “segrega
tion is the ideal way of life” and
added, “I hope to conduct myself in
the best interests of the school system
a nd our Southern way of life.”
“I believe,” he said, “in separate but
equal school facilities for the races and
I think the colored people want it that
way. On the board I have worked
closely with the two Negro colleges
and have received 100 per cent co
operation from them.”
The board also controls most of the
finances of the majority of state uni
versities and colleges, white and Negro.
Businessmen Caution City
On Segregation Position
One hundred and five business and
professional men, many of them civic
leaders of New Orleans, cautioned the
city on Dec. 14 that Louisiana’s legal
position on segregation has become
“untenable” and there should be an
immediate end “to threats, defamation
and resistance of those who admin
ister our laws.”
Doctors, dentists, architects, busi
nessmen from every facet of New Or
leans economy, signed a three-quarter
page advertisement in local newspapers
asking citizens to back the Orleans
Parish school board in its administra
tion of an 118-school public educational
program in which there is now token
desegregation.
The public appeal was distributed
throughout the nation in an effort to
counteract school desegregation pub
licity which has curtailed tourist trade
and business in New Orleans.
Immediately after publication of the
advertisement and accompaning news
stones, many signers of the statement
“egan receiving harassing telephone
calls; and on Thursday, Dec. 15, they
*ere roundly criticized at a Citizens
bound! rally.
Text of Statement
The statement of the business an
Professional men read:
Segregation of races in the schools
0 the South was first an absolute
necessity and then a tradition. It is
our preference.
Since the 1954 decision of the
States Supreme Court, and in
, e light of innumerable court de-
C'sions against the Orleans Parish
tjj °. . b° ar< ! and other school au-
onties, it has been quite apparent
most of us that our system has
° me legally untenable and that
?e change must result,
vin 6Cause m any citizens are con-
v - , ce< ? that these decisions are in
, a h° n °f our nation’s Constitution
t L °f Rights, it is well that this
r ^' should be tested in the courts.
'Louisiana Legislature has pro-
w 0 adequate basis for a proper
cr '• Such tests within limits of dis-
d,, *° n are proper and a part of our
oeratic privilege.
Pri U * We recognize that there is a
r ac 6 a durable, workable democ-
turn r Ch citiz ens must pay in re-
or their freedoms. We believe
the a"? are called upon to abide by
Pour* C our l e S a Hy constituted
ar e r' ft parts of our Constitution
they aUri d to be objectionable then
with Us t he amended in accordance
‘he law.
ap jj,f believe that there should be
hop /"jdlate end to threats, defama-
ipipj s , n res istance to those who ad-
citizer, er < i Ur f aws - We appeal to the
ap e J °f N e w Orleans to demand
, to the street demonstrations,
city ofR ."ft support be given to the
ele ctert C1 ® ls ’ the Police, and the duly
Orl e Sc hool board of the parish of
opr W e urge that education of
that c ] Ut h not be interrupted and
<W„ Sulty be restored to our
“W e mty -
the fjp-f P r °ud we are citizens of
r ' c °Hn i' ea States of America, and we
as p 8 allegiance to this union.
1 nti m ent °^ ers to i° in us in these
“te difficult to assess the immedi-
c of the statement. It cam;
—Just Keeps Rollin’ Along!
Delaware State News
after street demonstrations had ended
but immediately prior to the Citizens
Council rally, which many city officials
feared would generate mass disorder as
did a similar rally on Nov. 15, the day
following desegregation of two public
schools.
However, no demonstrations followed
the poorly attended second rally spon
sored by the Citizens Council of Great
er New Orleans. Leaders of the Coun
cil blamed the low attendance—prob
ably a fourth of the Nov. 15 meeting—
on the cold, rainy weather. Estimates
of attendance ranged from 1000 to 2500.
The November meeting drew 5000 per
sons to the city’s municipal auditorium,
the same hall used in December.
Speakers at the rally included State
School Superintendent Shelby M.
Jackson, Secretary of State Wade O.
Martin Jr., and Frank R. Voelker,
chairman of the State Sovereignty
Commission.
Warnings Sounded
Both Martin and Voelker sounded
warnings that public schools of the
state may have to close in preference
to private, non-sectarian schools fi
nanced by a state grant-in-aid pro
gram.
Voelker said that state officials have
been accused of “doing violence to your
city government.” His reference was
to the Legislature’s repeated efforts to
oust the five-member school board
elected by New Orleanians—efforts
launched after the board agreed to
comply with the federal order of de
segregation.
“If, in the progress of battle,” said
Voelker, “we somehow transgressed on
your rights, it has been because we felt
that transgression by the state on the
rights of one of its subdivisions was
preferable to transgression by the fed
eral authority on the rights of the
state.”
He told the audience he could not
agree with the 105 business and pro
fessional men urging citizens of New
Orleans to comply with federal court
decisions.
‘Judicial Tyranny’
“I do not believe,” he said, “we are
called upon to abide by the action of
our legally constituted courts when
their action amounts to judicial tyran
ny.”
Voelker said he could not agree to
co-operate with the school board as re
quested by the businessmen’s state
ment.
He said the board “seems to be
working hand-in-glove with a federal
court apparently determined either to
force us to operate our schools in vio
lation of our state law or to destroy
the entire school system.”
“For anyone to plead for your co
operation with your school board is to
exhort you to defiance of your state
government,” he said.
Martin made reference to reports
that the school crisis has affected the
economy of New Orleans.
Little Rock Cited
He said some industry had been re
luctant to locate in Little Rock after
public demonstrations against desegre
gation there “because it is the only
integrated city in the South and not
because the people fought for what
they wanted.”
Dr. Emmett L. Irwin, chairman of
the greater New Orleans Council,
brought seven small children to the
stage of the auditorium, four of them
in blackface.
On signal, the children began kiss
ing each other and Dr. Irwin asked
the audience: “That’s just a little
demonstration of what integration
means. Is that what you want?”
“No, no,” came shouts from the
audience.
Tax Issue Raised
The possibility of an additional one-
cent sales tax to finance a grant-in-aid
program of private, segregated schools
spurred to action groups which had not
expressed themselves previously on the
New Orleans school crisis.
International House, the city’s lead
ing foreign commerce association, said
—without reference directly to the
issue of schools—that it was “unalter
ably opposed” to any increase in taxa
tion. The non-profit organization is
made up of the most influential men in
the community.
The Chamber of Commerce of the
New Orleans area also adopted a reso
lution against the tax; and its new
president, W. O. Turner, said an in
crease in the sales tax would be an
other blow against inducing business
to the city.
The state now has a two per cent
sales tax and some local governments,
including the city of New Orleans, have
an additional penny tax on every dol
lar purchase.
Mardi Gras As Usual
In one boost to tourism, Mayor de
Lesseps Morrison dispelled rumors that
there would be no Mardi Gras this year
because of race tensions in New Orleans.
He said on Dec. 15 that the city had
mailed the permits for a score of pa
rades.
Morrison further predicted that the
Feb. 14 carnival celebration would be
bigger this year than previously.
“Applications from out-of-town
groups for reserved seats in the public
reviewing stands are so great that we
are already making plans to construct
an additional 1000 seats,” Morrison said.
The mayor said a check with leading
New Orleans hotels shows the usual
heavy demand for hotel accomodations
during the Mardi Gras season.
Tourism Off
Tourism has been off in New Or
leans though no one had made public
any official estimates of loss of business
due to the school demonstrations. Most
businessmen agreed that the desegre
gation crisis aggravated a business re
cession that many areas of the country
are experiencing.
Negro groups sponsored a program
asking that Mardi Gras 1961 be ob
served “as a day of reflection and
prayer by Negro citizens of New Or
leans.”
More than 100 Negro organizations
announced cancellation of various ac
tivities including carnival balls.
Negro leaders met at Dillard Uni
versity to announce a positive program
of civic, social and political activity.
Representatives of some 50 Negro or
ganizations attended the Dillard con
ference sponsored by the New Orleans
chapter of the Frontiers of America.
Community Council
They passed a resolution forming a
community council to serve “as a co
ordinating body for all positive ac
tion, which would serve as a medium
to plan, communicate and act on com
mon community problems.”
The Bunch Club, oldest Negro carni
val organization in New Orleans, an
nounced it had cancelled its ball and
would use the funds for a “positive
social action” program as a result of
the school crisis.
Said the club president, George
Longe:
“We are living through a very criti
cal situation in New Orleans involving
primarily the maintenance of our pub
lic schools.
“While this is at present primarily a
political fight between the local, state
and federal governments and Negroes
are indirectly involved in the fight,
nevertheless we, as Negroes, are the
cause and must necessarily be affected
most by the results of this fight.
“The established social action or
ganizations and many small associa
tions concerned with social action are
greatly in need of money. Responsible
Negroes, like members of the Bunch
Club, should assume some of the re
sponsibility for providing financial sup
port for these activities.”
Professor’s Critical Letter
Causes LSU Investigation
The Louisiana Legislature’s Un-
American Activities Committee, headed
by Rep. James Pfister of New Orleans,
began an investigation of Louisiana
State University after one of its pro
fessors, Dr. Waldo McNeir, labeled
legislative actions on segregation a
“national scandal.”
There were angry charges that Mc
Neir “must be a Communist” after the
professor wrote to several members of
the Legislature, including the most
outspoken segregationists.
McNeir said that “segregation is
wrong.”
His letter stated: “Interposition is of
no legal value. Louisiana is one of the
50 United States that make up this na-
*You Mean He Can’t Say
Nothing?’
THE HEW ORLEANS FOUR
Baltimore Afro-American
tion. State sovereignty is a dead doc
trine. We must live under the rule of
law or perish. Reason must prevail.
“The laws enacted by the state leg
islature in these two special sessions
are a disgrace and a national scandal.
They have seriously damaged this
country in the eyes of the world. What
ever your personal views, these are
facts. There is still time for you to
show statemanship and rise above
your personal feelings.”
Over the vain efforts of a handful
of legislators to block the Un-Ameri
can Activities Committee probe, the
House and Senate passed a resolution
condemning McNeir and authorizing a
full-scale inquiry. A 1958 effort toward
a similar investigation failed to get off
the ground. It also was touched off by
professors’ action in criticizing certain
segregation laws.
Legislative Debate
Rep. Wellborn Jack of Shreveport,
who said he got one of McNeir’s let
ters, told the House during the hours
of legislative debate over the McNeir
incident that the professor had told
him:
“I disagree with everything you
stand for.”
Jack said: “I’m against communism.
He disagrees with everything I stand
for; and therefore, he must be a Com
munist.
“I’m for segregation. He must be for
integration. I stand for honesty. He
must be a crook.”
McNeir, he said, “is a dangerous
man” who has “got to go.”
Other legislators lambasted the “au
dacity” of the professor in questioning
actions of the Legislature.
There were demands for McNeir’s
firing, but LSU authorities said firing
of the professor could seriously damage
the university’s reputation and accred
iting nationally because it would be
construed as a violation of the prin
ciple of academic freedom.
Faculty Statement
On Dec. 18, two days after final leg
islative action was taken to kick off
the probe, 329 members of the Tulane
university faculty at New Orleans
signed a statement saying:
• They doubted that the investigation
of the faculty of LSU is justified.
• The Legislature in withholding the
salaries of teachers in New Orleans’
two desegregated schools would “un
dermine the teachers’ morale through
out the school system.”
In addition to backing up their col
leagues in the teaching profession, the
Tulane professors endorsed the state
ment of 105 business and professional
men who asked the citizens of New
Orleans to stop street demonstrations
and realize that court orders must be
obeyed.
The professors said also they could
see no justification for attempts by the
legislature to remove the members of
the Orleans Parish school board and
asked the Legislature to investigate
the campaign of harassment and de
struction of property directed against
the persons who have continued to
send their children to William Frantz
school.
Though no action has been taken by
Catholic authorities to desegregate the
48,000-pupil Catholic school system of
New Orleans, a number of parochial
school parent clubs met and declared
publicly their intent to withdraw their
children from classes if the schools
are desegregated.
Catholic school officials have an
nounced that schools will be desegre
gated on a plan similar to the public
schools’ pupil placement plan, but they
Virginia
(Continued From Page 7)
situations not related in any way to
the school segregation issue. The pur
pose of the law, they say, is to make
it possible for children to escape at
tending bi-racial schools by receiving
grants to go to segregated schools.
But those who defend the program
say that while the race factor led to
the original enactment of a grants
program, the idea now is to put the
schools on a truly “freedom-of-choice”
basis, with parents free to choose be
tween public and private schools and
still get public funds for the education
of their children.
To Prepare Regulations
A committee of the State Board of
Education will meet in Richmond Jan.
10 to prepare regulations for the as
signment of public school children by
local school boards.
Under present law, assignment of
pupils in Virginia is done by the State
Pupil Placement Board, except that a
local governing body, on recommenda
tion of the local school board, may ex
clude that locality from control by the
State Pupil Placement Board. Where
this is done, the local school board
assumes the assignment function.
The criteria to be applied by the
local boards in making the assignments
are to be worked out by the State
Board of Education.
★ ★ ★
The first statewide count of Virginia’s
public school students during the cur
rent school year, made as of Sept- 30,
showed a total enrollment of 849,228,
State Department of Education an
nounced Dec. 15.
This is below the 879,500 estimate
figure which the department had been
using. However, the department said
that by the end of the current school
year, enrollment probably will hit
around 865,000.
The racial breakdown as of Sept. 30
showed 637,266 whites and 209,962 Ne
groes.
★ * ★
The State Pupil Placement Board re
fused to permit a Negro boy to transfer
from his assigned school to the Negro
school he previously had attended. A
federal court order had assigned the
boy to Pulaski High School last fall.
The board took its action in a closed
meeting in Richmond Dec. 22. A board
announcement following the meeting
said the request was denied because it
did not comply with the regulation re
quiring the submission of school trans
fer applications at least 60 days prior to
the beginning of any school session.
The request had been made by Mr.
and Mrs. Moses Webb of Pulaski on be
half of their son, David Leon Webb, a
10th grader at Pulaski High School.
The youth previously attended Chris-
tiansburg Institute, a Negro school
about 18 miles from Pulaski. He was
one of 13 Negroes who entered the for
merly white high school Sept. 6.
According to B. S. Hilton, executive
secretary of the board, Mr. and Mrs.
Webb made their request for their son’s
transfer in a letter dated Nov. 14, which
said that the youth had dropped out of
Pulaski High and wanted to return to
Christiansburg Institute.
The principal of the Pulaski school,
Kenneth E. Fulp, said in answer to re
porters’ questions that David had
dropped out of school two or three
weeks after the session began because
he “just wasn’t interested in school.”
LEGAL ACTION
The National Association for the Ad
vancement of Colored People asked for
a federal court order to prevent the
state from seeing NAACP membership
lists. (NAACP v. Harrison.)
The motion for injunctive relief, filed
in United States District Court at
Richmond Dec. 16, was aimed at the
State Corporation Commission and
Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney T.
Gray Haddon.
The NAACP contended that the
Corporation Commission had asked
Haddon to prosecute it for refusing
to comply with an SCC order to dis
close the names of NAACP members.
Enforced disclosure of the names, ac
cording to the Negro group’s motion,
would violate the constitutional rights
of privacy of the members. # # #
await a subsiding of the turmoil sur
rounding public school desegregation.
Msgr. Henry C. Bezou, Catholic
school superintendent, said at a meet
ing of parent clubs on Dec. 6 that
Catholics are bound to obey the de
cision of their archbishop, Joseph
Francis Rummel. TTritfllri thr p-yr""* 0
only seven or eieMZr&ffietyft
tion, New Orleans amongthemv/'jMh
maintain segragatdd I SajholiaT schdol
facilities.