Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 12—AUGUST, 1961—SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS
NORTH CAROLINA
Asheville Board Approves
First Desegregated School
ALABAMA
Bill Would Close School
Substitute Grants-in-Aid
MONTGOMERY
S tate Rep. Walter Perry of
Jefferson County (Birming
ham) introduced a bill in the
legislature July 25 which would
abolish the state’s public educa
tion system and substitute a
grants-in-aid program.
Perry said the bill was designed to
sidestep any federal order calling for
school desegregation.
House Bill 1202 would go into effect
after the coming 1961-62 school year.
All school properties, except state col
leges and universities, would be sold
at public auction after June 30, 1962.
Parents of school age children would
be entitled to annual state help to pay
school costs. The amount each parent
would receive would be “equal to the
total amount of public money available
to the locality for the education of
children between the ages of 6 and 18
years divided by the total number of
children for whom allowances must be
provided.”
The House Education Committee sent
the bill to the Segregation Screening
Committee. Little enthusiasm for the
measure was reported among legisla
tors.
★ ★ ★
The House passed, 95-0, a bill in
tended to outlaw “freedom rides” in
the state. The measure would provide
a fine of $300 and six months in jail
for anyone seeking to breach the peace
or provoke riots through segregation
testing rides into the state.
The bill was sent to the Senate for
its endorsement, which was not cer
tain.
★ ★ ★
The House also passed, 72-13, a bill
to create a legislative committee to
investigate alleged communist infiltra
tion in the state, specifically that di
rected at overthrowing the govern
ment of Alabama.
The bill, sent to the Senate, in
cludes a conditional appropriation of
$75,000 to finance the investigation.
Life of the committee is limited to two
years; accused persons are granted the
right of counsel and “reasonable”
cross-examination of their accusers.
The committee would have to go into
court in any contempt proceedings.
Sponsor of the bill, Rep. John Haw
kins of Jefferson County, told the
Senate Finance and Taxation Commit
tee of alleged linkages between the
NAACP Legal Defense and Educa
tional Fund and CORE and front or
ganizations.
What They Say
Patterson Repeats
Opposition to New
State School Taxes
Gov. John Patterson, repeating his
opposition to any new taxes to relieve
the school finance problem of the
state, said in a July 26 press confer
ence that he would be willing to ac
cept federal aid “if no strings are at
tached.”
But, he warned, this might not be
possible:
“When you accept money for oper
ating schools from the federal govern
ment, the first thing you know they
will be telling you who to teach, what
to teach and how to teach it.
“Then they would be in a position
to withdraw their support and cripple
our schools if we did not agree to in
tegrate the classrooms. My experience
with the attorney general (during the
May violence that greeted “freedom
riders”) is that there is no limit—
there’s nothing—he won’t do to force
their way on you.”
‘Most Willing’
Earlier in July, Gov. Patterson de
clared himself “most willing” to
travel throughout the world explaining
the Southern view on race relations.
The recent violence over the “freedom
rides” in the South requires “an ex
planation rather than an apology,” he
said.
Alabama Highlights
A bill to abolish public sc]
in Alabama and substitute a
grants-in-aid program was
duced in the Alabama Legislai
July 25 by Rep. Walter Perry,-
Jefferson County (Birmingham! '
Observers believed it will likely $ t
in committee.
Gov. John Patterson said fede#
aid would be welcome “if no string *
are attached,” but warned that lj *
experience with Attorney Genes, f
Robert Kennedy had convinced him «
that there was no limit to w]
the young attorney general wotl«e
not go “to force their way on you’t
The governor said, in response!: *
an editorial in an Hawaiian ner. *
paper, that he would be happy a
travel around the world explain!];,
the South’s viewpoint on desegre,
gation.
abroad by the U.S. State Depart®
to explain the South to non-Caucaai
countries.
“If I can personally contribute:
any way,” Patterson said on his retii
from Hawaii, “I will do anything I a
to explain our position. We have ant
problem. We must admit it. But r
also must let the people throughout!
world know we are trying to solve
There are two sides to every questk
Miscellaneous
Federal Judge
Holds Hearing
On ‘Rider’ Ban
U.S. District Judge Frank M. Jo-
son Jr. of Montgomery heard argo
ments July 17 for and against a ^
on “freedom riders,” then annoutt*
he would issue a ruling later. '
earlier temporary restraining
against sponsors of the movement
expired on a technicality after a 10 ’
time limit. An injunction against
gomery authorities, police and van
Klan groups and individuals still n
effect.
The Justice Department filed suit -
Johnson’s court July 26 demanding*
end to segregation of restaurant, ^
ing room and restroom facilities
Dannelly Field, Montgomery’s
In Washington, Attorney -
Robert F. Kennedy said the sui ^
brought after his department was
able to work out a voluntary s°
with local authorities.”
★ ★ ★
W
State Superintendent of Educ^
». A. LeCroy said July 25 that ^
bama will need an additional S
lion in revenue to prevent
fur#
proration of its current school ^
Unless additional revenue is P r °^ sJ <
LeCroy said, there will he
many schools which cannot ope
full term.”
To many, the school financial^ ^
is more pressing than any f ear p a tter
segregation orders. Gov. John ^ I
son has stated his opposition
further taxes and has urged
local effort.
★ ★ ★ J
s 0**'
Five members of the Jam e
family in southwest hlon^y i
County were beaten on th e ^
July by a group the victims
as hooded Klansmen. A leR®
by their daughter, Julia Ann
16, had appeared in the ^ f-
Advertiser July 2. Signed • ^
the letter described the pliffh
lattoes in a segregated society-
★ ★ ★
Six Alabama Baptist ehureh^
to withhold funds from the ^
Baptist Theological Seminary
ville, Ky., because the ^ eV *prJ
Luther King Jr. spoke there _
Other churches were reporte
CHARLOTTE
EVERAL SCHOOL BOARDS in
North Carolina have acted to
admit more Negro students to
desegregated schools this fall,
and Asheville’s board has voted,
for the first time, to desegregate
a school.
Altogether, perhaps as many as 150
Negro students will be attending de
segregated classes this fall in no fewer
than 11 of the state’s 173 school dis
tricts.
Last year, the number was just over
80 in 10 districts.
The largest increase in the number of
Negro students in desegregated schools
is expected in Chapel Hill, where from
40 to 50 Negro first-graders are ex
pected to enroll in previously all-white
schools. They will enroll under a plan,
previously announced by the Chapel
Hill Board of Education, which calls
for the assignment of Negro students,
upon request, to the nearest school
without regard to race. Chapel Hill
had three Negro students in one ele
mentary school last year.
Charlotte Assignments
In Charlotte, 14 Negro students have
been assigned to four desegregated
schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg
County system. Applications from six
other students, all seeking to enter the
first grade, are pending before the
board.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of
Education acted on 14 of the 35 trans
fer requests it had from Negro stu
dents at its July 18 meeting. But on
Aug. 1 the board deferred, until a date
to be set later, action on the remain
ing six applications for admission to
first grades.
Last year the Charlotte-Mecklenburg
schools, with an enrollment of about
61,000 (about one-third of it Negro)
had two Negro students, one in the
first grade at Bethune Elementary
school and one in the 12th grade at
Garinger High School. The Garinger
senior graduated in June.
The Bethune student, Kenneth Alex
ander, will return to the second grade
there and put the Charlotte-Mecklen
burg total to no fewer than 15 Negroes
in the four desegregated schools when
classes begin at the end of August.
Negroes To Derita
For the first time, Negro students
were assigned to a former county
school, Derita. The Mecklenburg Coun
ty and the Charlotte schools consoli
dated on July 1, 1960. The denial of
transfer requests by the former county
board of education for admissions at
Derita had been the subject of a fed
eral district court suit which was ruled
on in June.
(Morrow V. Mecklenburg County
Board of Education, Southern School
News, July.)
In Greensboro, three more Negro
students have been assigned to Gilles
pie Park School, that city’s only de
segregated school. Altogether, the
Greensboro Board of Education acted
on 51 transfer requests. The action will
place 17 Negroes in the school this fall.
In Raleigh, the Board of Education
has assigned three Negro girls to Need-
ham-Broughton High School and five
other Negro students to an all-white
junior high school.
Raleigh Total To Rise
Raleigh’s Murphey Elementary
School had one Negro student last year,
the first year of desegregation there.
He is expected to return this fall and
put Raleigh’s total at 10 Negroes in
three schools. A second Negro has al
ready been assigned to the Murphey
School.
The Raleigh board’s action came
after a recommendation from its Negro
member, Fred Carnage. Carnage said
students in Raleigh’s Oberlin Road area
walked by both the Daniels and the
Broughton schools to reach Ligon High,
the Negro high school. “In good race
relations,” he said, “I think we ought
to take some action to rectify this
situation.” The board voted unani
mously on the admissions.
Asheville city schools will desegre
gate for the first time this fall by ad
mitting five Negroes to the first two
grades of one school, Newton Ele
mentary.
The Asheville Board of Education
voted to desegregate the first three
grades of the school, but had no trans
fer applications for the third grade
among the 11 it considered.
North Carolina Highlights
Asheville this fall will become
North Carolina’s 11th school district
to desegregate as perhaps as many
as 150 Negro students go into
schools with whites in the state.
Judge Edwin M. Stanley has or
dered the Durham City Board of
Education to reconsider its denial
of transfer requests in 133 cases in
1958 and 1959.
Charlotte College and Mars Hill
College will accept Negroes for the
first time this fall.
Indians will attend Dunn High
School in Harnett County when
school opens.
In Winston-Salem, the Board of Edu
cation has approved transfer requests
for seven Negro students seeking ad
mission to Easton Elementary School.
They had been attending Diggs Ele
mentary School, but Easton is nearer
their homes.
The transfers will bring to 14 the
total number of Negroes assigned to
Easton, which has had some Negro
students each year since 1957, the first
year of desegregation in Winston-
Salem and in North Carolina. No other
Winston-Salem school has Negro stu
dents assigned to it this fall.
Other North Carolina school districts
are considering transfer requests or
already have routinely assigned Negro
students who last year attended de
segregated schools to return to the
same schools this fall. These districts
include High Point, Durham, and
Wayne, Craven and Yancey counties.
★ ★ ★
20 Indians Expected
At Dunn High School
Twenty Indian students are expected
to attend Dunn High School this fall,
just a year after some of the same
students were staging sit-in demon
strations in an effort to gain admission.
The Harnett County Board of Educa
tion on July 17 approved transfer ap
plication for 20 high-school-age In
dians who previously had been as
signed to the East Carolina Indian
School in adjacent Sampson County.
It was the students’ dislike for the
70-mile round trip to the special state-
supported Indian school that led to
their demonstrations at Dunn High last
fall. After the demonstrations, many
of the students refused to make the
bus trip to Sampson County.
The Harnett board, at the same time,
denied transfer requests for 20 ele
mentary-age Indian students. The
board said Dunn Elementary School is
overcrowded while there is plenty of
room at the Maple Grove Elementary
School.
There is no high school for Indians
in Harnett County.
★ ★ ★
In Lumberton, the Board of Educa
tion has denied transfer requests for
nine Indians. The petition was the
Indians’ first effort to attend white
schools. They had been attending an
Indian school in West Lumberton, a
section which was annexed last year.
Leeal Action
Court Tells Durham
To Reconsider Rs
Transfer Refusals
The Durham City Board of Educa
tion has been ordered to reconsider its
decision not to admit 133 Negro stu
dents who sought transfers to deseg
regated schools in 1958 and 1959.
The suit on behalf of 133 Negro
students was filed last year in U. S.
Middle District Court in Greensboro.
Arguments were heard last fall and
winter.
The suit came after the Durham
board rejected transfer requests from
279 Negro students in 1958 and 1959.
At the same time, the board did admit
seven Negroes to three formerly all-
white schools. Many of the students
whose requests were rejected were
elementary school students. The board
limited its desegregated assignments
to high school and junior high school
levels.
In a ruling July 20, Judge Edwin M.
Stanley told the Durham board these
things:
• The board shall meet within 10
days to give separate consideration to
each of the 133 applications.
• The board shall render its decision
on each application within 25 days with
each decision being based “on definite
criteria and standards applicable to
white and Negro children alike.”
• Within 30 days the board shall re
port to the court on the action taken
on each application. The report also
shall state the criteria and standards
used and cite the reason for any ap
plication that is denied.
• If any parent or guardian of the
133 pupils is dissatisfied with the
board’s action, an application for a
hearing in the federal court may be
filed within 30 days.
City Maps
Judge Stanley said: “. . . The de
fendant has apparently contained its
practices to assigning elementary stu
dents on the basis of two sets of city
maps, one zoned exclusively for white
students and the other zoned exclu
sively for Negro students, and the
practice of giving assignment notices
at times which make it practically im
possible for students to exhaust their
administrative remedies prior to the
commencement of school terms.”
Judge Stanley held that the students
had exhausted their administrative
remedies before filing the suit.
Of the Negro plaintiffs, Judge Stan
ley said: “Students seeking reassign
ment are delinquent in failing to attend
hearings before school boards and . . .
appearance by an attorney is insuf
ficient ... It should be emphasized
that we are not dealing with a situa
tion where a school board had a fixed
policy to maintain a pattern of total
segregation in its school system . . .”
★ ★ ★
Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Board Faces New Suit
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of
Education has had one suit against it
dropped, but another one is promised.
NAACP attorney Thomas H. Wyche
did not file an appeal from Judge Wil
son Warlick’s ruling in the old suit
against the former Mecklenburg
County Board of Education. In that
case, the result of the board’s denial of
transfer requests from eight students
in 1958, Judge Warlick ruled in June
that the students’ constitutional rights
had not been denied and that the board
had acted in good faith.
The board, however, now is promised
another suit because of its decision to
assign Negro students only to what
was last year Harding High School, a
school attended only by white students.
New School
Ashley Park High School, a new
building, will open this fall. To it have
been assigned all high school students
who formerly attended Harding. Hard
ing is to become Irwin Avenue Junior
High School and will be attended only
by Negro students.
The plan is for one year, said board
members, until a new junior high
school for Negroes can be built in
the northwest section of the city.
Wyche, who had said earlier that
Judge Warlick’s opinion would be ap
pealed, said after the board’s decision
on Harding: “We’ve got a better case—
the one they are developing at Harding
High.” Wyche said the board, in chang
ing Harding to an all-Negro school,
was illegally administering the North
Carolina Pupil Placement Act and per
haps bringing the entire law into ques
tion.
In The Colleges
Two Colleges Plan
Negro Admissions
For Coining Term
Charlotte Community College and
Mars Hill College will admit Negroes
for the first time this faff.
Mars Hill, a Baptist junior college at
Mars Hill, will admit 17-year-old Ora-
lene Graves.
The report came after a meeting of
the college’s trustees.
“I don’t believe we’ll have anything
to say until after Sept. 10,” said Dr.
Hoyt Blackwell, president. But one re
port from the trustees meeting said Dr.
Blackwell had recommended the action.
The girl was an honor student at
Stephens-Lee High School in Ashe
ville. Her great-grandfather, a slave
named Joe Anderson, was owned by a
(See NORTH CAROLINA, Page 13)
The governor’s comment came in re
sponse to an editorial in the Hono
lulu Bulletin (during the National
Governors Conference in Hawaii), sug
gesting that Patterson should be sent
ering the action. , -j w, |
The school’s Board of Tt" u *L ) re^.
President Duke K. McCall y^y,
regret “for any offense cause # $
visit.”