Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 6—FEBRUARY, 1962—SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS
University of Mississippi Admissions Policies Debated
Table Compares Local
School Funds by Race
Following are comparisons of expenditures above the state minimum
program for instruction in Mississippi school districts, listed on a per.
child basis:
(Continued From Page 1)
qualified because he is “a trouble
maker.”
University officials have denied that
Meredith was turned down because of
his race. Registrar Robert B. Ellis con
tended that the Negro was rejected
because he came from a nonaccredited
school and failed to turn in the alumni
certificates. Since the earlier hearing,
Jackson State College for Negroes has
been admitted to full membership in
the Southern Association of Colleges
and Secondary Schools.
Answering the state’s charge that
Meredith is “a troublemaker,” Mrs.
Constance Baker Motley, New York
NAACP attorney handling his case,
said:
“Any Negro who tries to enter a state
school in the South is a trouble maker.
It’s against the system . . . contrary to
policy.”
Air Force Record
Assistant Attorney General Edward
Cates asserted that Meredith had
“shown tendencies which qualify as bad
moral characteristics.” He based that
on Meredith’s Air Force certificates
which he said showed “he had a strong
need to fight and defy authority . . .
he’s seeking to assert passive aggres
siveness.”
“We’re convinced that Meredith is
not interested in an education, but in
terested in integration,” Cates said in
his closing argument.
However, Mrs. Motley countered in
stating that the state’s attorneys “are
trying to obstruct the record by enter
ing the charges of bad moral char
acter.”
“Mr. Meredith had already been de
nied admission when this came up,”
she said.
Derrick A. Bell Jr., New York
NAACP attorney, said the appeals court
Mississippi Highlights
A federal district court turned
down a Negro man’s effort to enter
the University of Mississippi. Judge
S. C. Mize held the university “not
a racially segregated institution.”
Inequities in the expenditure of
local school funds, supplemental to
those disbursed by the state under
the Negro-white equalized minimum
foundation program, have been dis
closed by the State Department of
Education. They average $4 to $1 in
favor of white students.
Federal suits filed in Jackson to
desegregate the races in all the
city’s public recreational facilities
were called the opening of an “all-
out desegregation attack which will
be made on Mississippi.”
Negro Editor Percy Greene of
Jackson advocated a seven-point
program that he said will guarantee
better and continued improvement
in Negro-white relations in Missis
sippi.”
Legal Action
in returning the case had taken “judi
cial notice that the state of Mississippi
applied a segregation policy to its
schools and colleges.”
“This is a state in which a sizeable
portion of the population is Negro, yet
no witness testified they had seen Ne
groes at the university,” he said. “Our
conclusion is that past and general
policy shows a clear segregation policy,
and witnesses admitted segregation was
a state policy before the 1954 U.S. Su
preme Court decision and said there
had been no change since.”
Assistant Attorney General Charles
Clark accused Mrs. Motley of attempt
ing “to let ‘judicial notice of the court’
handle her case.”
“Her idea was all that needed done
was Meredith’s taking the stand . . .
saying he was a Negro . . . and charg
ing he wasn’t a student at the Univer
sity of Mississippi,” Clark said.
Schoolmen
Wide Gap Reported
In Funds for White
And Negro Schools
Wide disparities in local public
school expenditures between the races
have been disclosed in a compilation by
the State Department of Education. It
was prepared for a legislative educa
tion study committee which will seek
modernization of the state system at the
current biennial session of the legisla
ture which convened Jan. 2.
The report by State Supt. of Educa
tion J. M. Tubb relates to funds raised
by local taxing districts to supplement
state allocations. It does not involve
state allocations for the state-supported
Negro-white minimum foundation pro
gram under which disbursements are
equalized without relation to race.
Supt. Tubb’s report, which was re
leased after newspaper publication of
the undisclosed survey, also showed
that more than half of the 638 Negro
attendance centers were unaccredited,
largely because of deficiencies in li
braries and heavy teacher-loads.
The “cost-quality relation of current
operating expenditures above minimum
program to instruction, 1960-61” in the
150 school districts in Mississippi
showed the expenditure per pupil in
average daily attendance for whites
was $81.86 and for Negroes it was
$21.77.
The 1960 population was: whites,
1,257,546; Negroes, 915,743; others,
4,852, for a grand total of 2,178,141.
Attendance Centers
As to attendance centers in the dis
tricts, the report lists 330 of the 638 for
Negroes as unaccredited, and only five
whites in that category out of a total
of 642.
A total of 104 of the districts showed
deficiencies in libraries for Negroes,
and 16 among the white schools, with
112 of the districts showing the Negro
teacher load 112 to 15 for the whites.
Expenditures from local funds above
those allocated for the state-supported
minimum foundation program are
shown in the accompanying table.
Itawamba County in northeast Mis
sissippi, with 14,206 whites and only
872 Negroes, spent per pupil from local
taxes, $34.99 per white against $46.06
for Negroes.
Negro Candidate
Following publication of the compila
tion, R. L. T. Smith, Negro merchant
of Jackson and candidate for Congress
in the Fourth Congressional District,
said the inequities in local school ex
penditures between the races show
that “we must have Negroes in posi
tions of policy and administration to
insure the equality of opportunity guar
anteed by the Constitution.”
Asserting that “all of the citizens in
charge of budgeting and allocating
funds for our public schools have been
white Mississippians,” the congressional
candidate added that “our education
policies have been made and admin
istered by white citizens primarily for
the benefit of white school children to
the detriment of our entire society.”
“Today, we are reaping the bitter
fruits of this short-sighted program,”
he said. “Our Negro citizens will no
longer accept this stewardship of white
citizens over the welfare and educa
tion of their children. The long history
of local obtuseness and intransigeance
instead of responsible local government
leaves no doubt in our minds that the
Negro must assert his right to partici
pate in the decisions which affect his
life so closely. Such a move will be in
the best interests of all our citizens.”
Scores ‘Suppression’
Pointing out that, news media had
to secure the report from sources out
side the State Department of Education,
which later confirmed the figures, Smith
said “the suppression of the report is
a threat to our form of government.”
He said those who “conspired to keep
the silence these past six years have
not only cheated our children; they
have undermined the machinery of de
mocracy.”
“The availability of information vital
to the welfare of the people is a basic
safeguard in a democratic society,” he
said.
Negro Junior Colleges
Meanwhile, the legislative education
study committee, in a second release
of its findings, recommended that “the
matter of establishing additional Negro
junior colleges should be given special
consideration.”
Chairman J. P. Love, member of the
House from Holmes County, said “it
would appear that there will fee need
for several such junior colleges within
the next few years.”
In an earlier release, the Love com
mittee recommended that “studies to
broaden the narrow scope of college
instructional programs available to Ne
gro students in Mississippi be instituted
by the Board of Trustees of State In
stitutions of Higher Learning.” It said
that the anticipated higher percentage
increase of Negro students than for
whites “may be alleviated by encour
aging the expansion of junior colleges
and private colleges which can absorb
some of the Negro students.” There are
three state-supported junior colleges
for Negroes in Mississippi and 14 for
whites.
W hat They Say
District
White
Negro
Aberdeen Sep
. .$ 54.78
$ 11.15
Alcorn Co
.. 19.39
—
Amite Co
.. 70.46
2.24
Amory Sep
.. 70.65
28.22
Anguilla
.. 130.85
21.15
Attala Co
.. 62.67
12.42
Baldwyn Sep
.. 32.45
10.04
Bay St. Louis Sep. .
.. 105.55
19.43
Benton Co
.. 59.42
15.63
Biloxi Sep
.. 128.92
86.25
Bolivar Co. 1
.. 125.10
2.32
Bolivar Co. 2
.. 117.63
3.16
Bolivar Co. 3
.. 177.37
4.46
Bolivar Co. 4
.. 101.55
23.86
Bolivar Co. 5
.. 123.65
5.68
Bolivar Co. 6
—
14.26
Brookhaven Sep
.. 58.56
20.79
Calhoun Co
.. 38.96
21.28
Canton Sep
.. 35.79
17.00
Carroll Co
.. 81.26
7.08
Chickasaw Co
.. 55.42
.62
Choctaw Co
.. 46.84
16.97
Claiborne Co
.. 142.64
19.88
Clarke Co
.. 56.82
16.11
Clarksdale Sep
.. 146.06
25.07
Clay Co
.. 64.07
15.31
Coahoma Co
.. 139.33
12.74
Coffeeville
.. 68.95
6.55
Columbia Sep
.. 90.73
27.82
Columbus Sep
.. 106.74
54.92
Copiah Co
.. 49.88
7.11
Corinth Sep
.. 79.94
41.32
Covington Co
.. 52.53
23.95
Desoto Co
.. 87.66
3.74
Drew Sep
.. 104.06
20.93
East Jasper
.. 111.22
8.57
East Tallahatchie ..
.. 69.15
6.61
Forrest Co
.. 67.76
34.19
Forrest Sep
.. 86.48
40.58
Franklin Co
.. 77.62
13.86
George Co
.. 66.53
34.65
Greene Co
.. 69.50
11.37
Greenville Sep
.. 134.43
34.25
Greenwood Sep
.. 116.78
46.45
Grenada Co
.. 91.51
13.31
Grenada Sep
.. 79.00
27.38
Gulfport Sep
.. 93.34
50.76
Hancock Co
.. 64.16
—
Harrison Co
.. 58.91
14.24
Hattiesburg Sep
.. 115.96
61.69
Hazlehurst Sep
.. 90.95
9.76
Hinds Co
.. 80.24
10.41
Hollandale
.. 117.81
18.00
Holly Bluff
.. 191.17
1.26
Holly Springs Sep. ..
.. 99.78
7.84
Holmes Co
.. 117.92
5.73
Houston Sep
.. 44.75
—
Humphreys Co
.. 116.62
15.35
Indianola Sep
.. 72.26
15.17
Itawamba Co
.. 34.99
46.06
Iuka Sep
.. 29.73
25.32
Jackson Co
.. 76.51
68.99
Jackson Sep
.. 149.64
106.37
Jefferson Co
.. 96.29
2.60
Jefferson Davis Co.
.. 59.44
10.24
Jones Co
.. 38.25
29.45
Kemper Co
.. 71.28
11.91
Kosciusko Sep
.. 74.64
21.16
Lafayette Co
.. 37.79
8.12
Lamar Co
.. 52.82
43.22
Lauderdale Co
.. 62.34
34.28
Lam-el Sep
.. 79.63
36.33
Lawrence Co
.. 57.01
23.14
Leake Co
.. 48.85
17.37
Lee Co
.. 21.67
7.67
District
JVhite
Negro
Leflore Co
.. 175.38
952
Leland
.. 113.02
2459
Lincoln Co
.. 68.51
26.06
Long Beach Sep. ...
.. 138.38
Louisville-Winston .
.. 47.82
7.64
Lowndes Co
.. 64.03
853
Lumberton Cons. ...
.. 85.47
16.09
Madison Co
.. 171.24
455
Marion Co
.. 42.91
19.10
Marshall Co
.. 69.56
851
McComb Sep
.. 61.51
1853
Meridian Sep
.. 116.58
6311
Monroe Co
.. 44.11
650
Montgomery Co
.. 48.73
6.71
Moss Point Sep
.. 86.63
43.30
Natchez-Adams ....
.. 131.84
4938
Neshoba Co
.. 21.16
712
Nettleton Line
.. 26.81
158
New Albany
.. 55.93
13.42
Newton Co
.. 67.42
17.98
Newton Sep
.. 81.23
19.83
North Panola Cons. .
.. 104.28
1.7S
North Pike
.. 30.89
.70
North Tippah Co. ...
.. 35.14
.00
Noxubee Co
.. 113.29
131
Oakland Cons
.. 104.03
6.15
Ocean Springs Sep. .
.. 78.26
84.08
Okolona Sep
.. 72.39
14.54
Oktibbeha Co
.. 103.87
851
Oxford Sep
.. 69.42
30.67
Pascagoula Sep
.. 102.88
45.64
Pass Christian Sep. .
.. 127.98
78.50
Pearl River Co
.. 61.70
—
Perry Co
.. 98.98
38.51
Philadelphia Sep. ...
.. 85.05
3033
Picayune Sep
.. 74.54
26.48
Pontotoc Co
.. 34.75
13.59
Pontotoc Sep
.. 78.91
—
Poplarville Sep
.. 57.96
18.69
Prentiss Co
.. 33.88
19.8!
Quitman Cons
.. 60.70
13.48
Quitman County ....
.. 90.28
8.41
Rankin Co
.. 72.71
14.78
Richton Sep
.. 52.09
14.41
Scott Co
.. 31.55
10,95
Senatobia Sep
.. 65.08
10.74
Sharkey-Issaquena .
.. 18.75
25.74
Simpson Co
.. 41.42
8.97
Smith Co
.. 54.34
20.43
South Panola
.. 59.55
135
South Pike
.. 101.92
1055
South Tippah
.. 32.40
Starkville Sep
.. 78.00
19.U
Stone Co
.. 60.27
13.03
Sunflower Co
.. 127.36
11.49
Tate Co
.. 67.08
5.84
Tishomingo Co
.. 41.06
2.70
Tunica Co
.. 172.80
599
Tupelo Sep
.. 96.87
31.41
Union Co
.. 26.68
7.86
Union Sep
.. 47.62
734
Vicksburg Sep
.. 124.33
24.1'
Walthall Co
.. 48.08
1055
Warren Co
.. 101.66
10.62
Water Valley
.. 53.44
2.75
Wayne Co
.. 62.76
8.69
Webster Co
.. 34.62
1156
Western Line
.. 198.74
5237
West Jasper
.. 55.71
9.87
1191
13.47
West Point Sep
.. 51.26
West Tallahatchie ..
.. 141.95
Wilkinson Co
.. 80.76
138
1292
292
35.66
Winona Sep
Yazoo Co
.. 70.95
.. 245.55
Yazoo City Sep
.. 98.43
Greenberg Plans All-Out
Effort for Desegregation
Indicative of an all-out desegregation
attack on Mississippi was the filing Jan.
12 in Jackson of a federal district court
suit by three Negroes to desegregate
all of the city’s public recreational fa
cilities.
Later in New York, Jack Greenberg,
director-counsel of the National As
sociation for the Advancement of Col
ored People Legal Defense and Educa
tion Fund, said that “an all-out de
segregation attack will be made on
Mississippi.” Greenberg recently suc
ceeded Thurgood Marshall in that po
sition.
Greenberg expects legal inroads to
be made into segregated public facili
ties in Mississippi such as hospitals,
parks, beaches, public transportation
and “in the near future,” public edu
cation.
“Within the next year or two, Mis
sissippi will cover ground that took
decades for the rest of the South,” he
said.
There are no biracial public schools
in Mississippi.
William J. Simmons, administrator
of the Citizens’ Councils of Mississippi,
pro-segregation organization, said the
filing of the suit “intensified the mortal
fight for racial integrity in Mississippi.”
Asserting that “this attack must and
will be defeated as have other attempts
in the past,” Simmons said “it points up
to the seriousness of the long-range war
we are in and the resources, both in
manpower and in money, that must be
mobilized by the Citizens’ Councils to
win the war.”
“Our public officials who are at the
forefront of the salient under imme
diate attack know that they are not
alone,” he said. “They have the weight
of the entire Citizens’ Council organi
zations behind them. Every person in
the Jackson area can show tangible
evidence of his support by contacting
the Citizens’ Council office and taking
an active assignment in the fight.
“Another phase of the same war is
the appearance in Mississippi of the
first Negro candidate for Congress since
Reconstruction. The white people
should be alerted to the true signifi
cance of this move. The radicals do not
expect to win—but they do expect to
build up a Negro bloc vote which will
become extremely dangerous if it ma
terializes.
“The power of Negro mass organiza
tions and white ‘moderates’ has brought
us to this pass. Only the power of or
ganized white people will prevent black
supremacy from becoming a reality
instead of a nightmarish dream,” Sim
mons asserted.
Negro Editor Suggests Own Program
A seven-point program which will
“guarantee better and continued im
provement in Negro-white relations in
Mississippi” has been advocated by
Percy Greene, editor of the Jackson
Advocate, Negro weekly newspaper.
Editor Greene said the program
“would be a long step forward in de
feating the aims of communism and
would also eliminate their rallying
point and eventually those organiza
tions that will continue to invade the
state to agitate the Negro question.”
The program follows:
• Full equalization of public schools,
including teachers salaries, books and
courses for Negro students, with Ne
gro teachers from the first through the
12th grades.
• Alcorn A&M College, Jackson State
College and Mississippi Vocational
College (state schools for Negroes)
brought up to the highest standards
and maintained primarily for Negro
students.
• The admission of Negro students
to the University of Mississippi, Mis
sissippi State University and Mississippi
Southern College for graduate and
professonal training.
• Guaranteed employment of a rea
sonable number of Negro workers in
all new industries coming into the state.
• The election and-or appointment of
Negroes on all policy making boards
and commissions, both local and state,
concerned with the maintenance of the
state public school system.
• The elimination of segregation signs
in all buses and other forms of public
transportation and in bus and railway
stations.
o The encouragement of voting and
political participation on the part of
responsible and qualified Negro citi
zens of the state in order to take the
Negro issue out of state politics.
“Before reaching a conclusion, we
would point out that the concern of this
seven-point program is neither inte
gration nor segregation, but what re
sponsible white and Negro citizens can
do to bring about better race relations
in this state,” Editor Greene said.
He said the program was not
moted by any decision of the ^
Supreme Court, “already made or o' 3
is likely to come.” j.
“It is in fact that same program ,
slight modifications, that we P reseD J
at the statewide meeting of Negro ^
white leaders called by Gov.
White before the 1954 decision of
U.S. Supreme Court,” he added. ;
# * *
Georgia
(Continued From Page 5)
who do not wish to attend P u
desegregated schools to transf er
private segregated schools. i ft ■
J. G. Burney asked for $53 j
tuition and books for his daUe ]
who attends Brenau Academy p
Gainesville, Fla. Bob Belcher ask e ^
$1,600 for room and board for oir
who attends Bolles School in J aC
ville, Fla.
No public schools in Georgi® ^
been desegregated except foO r » ( 1 '
schools in Atlanta.