About Southern school news. (Nashville, Tenn.) 1954-1965 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1963)
SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS-UULY, 1963—PAGE 17 Race Relations Institute In 20th Annual Session By ROBERT CHURCHWELL CHOOL DESEGREGATION Was among the topics of discus sion during the 20th annual Race Relations Institute which opened a t Fisk University in Nashville June 24 for two weeks of lec tures, seminars and clinics. Sponsored by the Board for Home land Ministries of the United Church of Christ, and directed by the Race Re lations Department of the American Missionary Association, the institute was founded in 1943 by the late Dr. Charles Spurgeon Johnson, sociologist and president of Fisk University. Dr. Herman H. Long, head of the AMA Race Relations Department, is director of the institute, which was scheduled to continue through July 6. Robert Carter, general counsel for the National Association for the Ad vancement of Colored People, told those attending the institute that “Northern educators have used segregated housing to maintain segregated schools.” Speaking on “Legal Approaches to De Facto School Segregation,” Carter declared: “They do this by having zone lines going around Negro neighborhoods, rather than drawing the lines through segregated neighborhoods.” Carter also declared that “de facto segregation has more Negroes going to segregated schools in the North than in the South. The problem faces the whole country and we’d better be con cerned about solving it.” Purpose Defined Dr. Long said the purpose of the in stitute was “to orientate leaders of local communities in the problems, processes and methods of implementing better intergroup relations.” He added: “It endeavors to assess the status of current developments, provide authoritative information on the psy chological, sociological, political, eco nomic and religious aspects of inter group problems, and to evaluate tech niques and strategies.” Institute members this year, em ployed by either public or private agen cies concerned with the race relations field, came from 30 states and the Dis trict of Columbia. There were 27 con sultants listed, about equally divided between whites and nonwhites. The first week of speakers included Dr. Long, who gave the keynote ad dress; Carter, Brooks Hays, special as sistant to President Kennedy; Dr. Her bert Barringer, department of sociology, Northwestern University, who dis cussed “Race: Recapitulation and Re definition”; Dr. Harold Bradley, depart ment of history, Vanderbilt University, who spoke on “American Race Rela tions: An Historical View”; Herman Edelsberg, attorney, National Office Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, who gave his views on “The Congress and Civil Rights.” Others were Dr. Robert Johnson, so ciologist, New York University, who discussed “The Negro Response”; Dr. Robert Rietz, director, American In dian Center, Chicago, whose address dealt with “The Indian-American: Problems and Prospect”; and Dr. Max Wolff, director of research, Department of Labor, Migration Division, Puerto Rico, who spoke on “The Puerto Rican Minority: Issues and Problems.” ‘Personal Conviction’ Hays, U.S. representative from Little Rock, Ark., at the time of that city’s school desegregation crisis, said he did not appear at the institute as a South erner, or as former president of the Southern Baptist Convention or as a representative of the President. “I am speaking my personal convic tion on what I think is the nation’s largest problem,” Hays declared. Hays also said he had “no apologies for my participation in the Little Rock crisis” but added, “I was hurt, bruised and wounded by my defeat for Con gress.” “Economic progress for Negroes does not meet the problem,” Hays continued, “neither can the problem be defined from any standpoint altogether of vio lence.” He said the Negro’s “dignity is involved. His personality is the heart of the problem.” Dr. Barringer said “the way people in the United States document Negro stereotypes is fantastic.” He said that District of Columbia (Continued From Page 16) jn civil rights but “we still have ‘ong way to go.” Both officials were given a general! nendly reception, although there wa sorrle heckling of the attorney genera ★ ★ ★ ( ^ s ® r ies of recommendations designe .? re ™ c e racial tensions was issued b; 2ft JJ as hlngton Urban League Jun Pro ^ eague called for “a total ap bv n *° commun ity’s problems Congress and city officials. respect to the Washingto: jOols, the Urban League urged a the K^ late rea PP ra isal of curricula b; ter t ard education to provide bet ^training for available job oppor -I end more social work an v ‘dual services to provide indi 'hildren attent * on i° r disadvantage Committee Assails Scho °l Segregation ^ ear Military Bases soioJJ 111 ® and school segregation i create ommu nities near military base to b ea J, re ? sures that “prove too grea ar nied f f ° r “me families of Negr t »m ln ; t * 0rces Personnel, a presidents - ttee reported June 22. ^11 r— »vvi wuiic CdU. rj Pporb! reSic *? nt ' s Committee on Equ Whiter! ™ the Armed Forces, a] tort that y f^ r ago ’ sa *d in its first r< '*0du e i °«-W segregation creat ®cieiw dsnips and impairs the e “len. and morale of Negro servie , Th e the ca iied for new effor 'Tuaf t ense Department to promo ^ders mant ’ end urged base con ° 'kal _? J orm biracial committe ” se S re S a tion practices lati °ns. eS ad ioining military inst; 0ther eff0rts fail >” 11 • r a services must coi ," cl * v iti es a dment or termination > Wh er j® rta in military install! ^ 1 ^Preva 1 ent Criminati0n iS C(1 iarly iti° Cat ^ on °i activities is pa “nportant at bases that pli an important role in the training of new officers or in the orientation of representatives of foreign govern ments,” the report said. The seven-man committee, headed by Washington lawyer Gerhard A. Gesell, said some discriminatory prac tices persist within the armed forces, but focused primarily on off-base seg regation that “adversely affects service morale.” President Kennedy asked Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara to re port within 30 days on steps being taken to cope with the problems cited by the committee. In a letter to McNamara, the Presi dent said: “Discriminatory practices are morally wrong wherever they occur—they are especially inequitable and iniquitous when they inconvenience and embar rass those serving in the armed ser vices, and their families. “Responsible citizens of all races in these communities should work to gether to open up public accommoda tions and housing for Negro personnel and their dependents. This effort is required by the interests of our nation al defense, national policy and basic considerations of human decency.” ★ ★ ★ Chairman Emanuel Celler, D-N.Y., of the House Judiciary Committee an nounced June 23 that he is keeping “a watchful eye” on federal judges who delay decisions in civil rights cases. Celler’s committee has authority to in stitute impeachment proceedings against federal judges. “There have been too many instances of unconscionable delay in hearing and deciding civil rights cases,” Celler said in a television interview. “In some district courts, judges have apparently played the dilatory game of those who continue to resist the clear mandate of the Constitution,” he said. “It is imperative that the federal judiciary assigned to civil rights litiga tion join the rest of the nation in the recognition that justice delayed is justice denied. . . . “I shall keep a watchful eye on these delayed cases and the judges who may, in part, be responsible.” LOUISIANA East Baton Rouge Plans To Desegregate in 1964 There Must Be A Logical Explanation Alley, Memphis Commercial Appeal “biological race is unimportant—there’s really no such thing,” and declared that studies of the different ethnic groups “have knocked a lot of wind out of the racists.” Dr. Bradley told the institute that fear and jealousy, or both, are the two most significant ingredients of preju dice. “When we fear or are jealous of groups of people we have a prejudice against them,” he said, adding that “most prejudices arise from misunder standing.” Edelsberg said he believed the House of Representatives will get a chance to vote on President Kennedy’s civil rights bill and said he thought the House will pass it “unscathed.” Edelsberg also described a filibuster as “a form of force, a form of parlia mentary sit-in.” He expressed the opin ion that on this basis, no Southern sen ator has the right to disparage the Negro’s right to demonstrate peace fully in the street.” Institute topics for the second week included “Race and Housing,” John McDermott, director, Catholic Interra cial Council, Chicago; “Federal Initia tive to Secure the Right to Vote,” John Doar, Civil Rights Division, U.S. De partment of Justice; ‘Voter Registration in the Deep South,” the Rev. Andrew Young, Southern Christian Leadership Conference; and “The Role of the Southern White Liberal,” Attorney Marion A. Wright, vice president, Southern Regional Council. It Grew Up Brooks, Birmingham News (Continued From Page 10) on June 10. The judge approved the other provisions of the plan, which was filed June 3 in compliance with an earlier order of Judge Ford (SSN, February.) The all-Negro Rosenwald High School will be closed and its students will attend Jessamine County High. At the elementary level, one building will be abandoned and another remodeled to provide for desegregation. School buses also will be desegregated. The suit, Mason v. Jessamine County Board of Education, was filed Sept. 19, 1962, by attorney James A. Crumlin of Louisville. RICHMOND—Judge Ford on June 13 at Lexington struck from the Rich mond plan a provision which would have allowed students to transfer out of their assigned attendance districts if the districts’ student bodies were pre dominantly of another race. He also directed the school board to employ and assign teachers without regard to race. The rest of the plan was held to be satisfactory and Louis ville attorney J. Earl Dearing, who filed the complaint on May 17, 1962, said he saw no “gerrymandering” in the attendance zones. (Continued From Page 15) The case was filed as Nweze v. the L SU Board of Supervisors. Judge Christenberry issued the temporary re straining order June 12. Legal Action Citizens’ Council Sued For $455,000 Thirteen faculty members of Louisi ana State University at New Orleans filed suit for damages against the Citi zens’ Council of Greater New Orleans. They charged that they had been held up to “disrepute, ridicule and con tempt” in statements made by the council’s secretary after they and 20 others had signed a petition protesting a controversial presentation over the New Orleans educational television sta tion. Filed in civil district court, the suit asked $35,000 damages from George Singlemann, secretary, and the Citizens Council, for each of the 13 professors, for a total $455,000. Plaintiffs include J. A. Brent III, Dan iel E. Anderson, Donald R. Gannon, Perry H. Howard, Leonard J. Krimer- man, John P. Green, William L. Blach- man, Joseph A. Slechta, Henry R. Hut- tenback, Earlean M. McCarrick, Roger D. Forseth, David A. Whitney and I. F. Tucker. The complainants had objected to a March presentation over station WYES- TV of an “Americanism” seminar shown 15,000 school children in the New Orleans area. They criticized use of the facilities owned and operated by the public school system “for the prop agation of the special views of the radi cal rightists, untempered by any differ ence of opinion or provision for the presentation of alternate views.” Singleman, speaking for the council, said the statement of the professors “was nothing short of treason.” He said further: “These same professors refer to the children as a captive audience for ‘special views of the radical right ists,’ but what greater tragedy could befall a college student than to be a captive audience to the unpatriotic views of these professors. “It is self-evident the students could not disagree with their vitriolic left wing diatribe for fear of failing. Need less to say this is where the word brain-washing would fit into their col lege vocabulary.” ★ ★ ★ Priest Drops Charge Against Belle Chasse Man Charges have been dismissed against a Belle Chasse man accused of striking a Catholic priest in the eye during an The high school at Richmond was previously desegregated and this case, Walker v. Richmond Board of Educa tion, sought to extend it to elementary pupils and the faculty. (SSN, March and previous.) Miscellaneous More Desegregation Of Faculties Seen A substantial increase in faculty de segregation in the 1963-4 school year is foreseen by Galen Martin, executive director of the State Human Rights Commission. He cited recent court rulings order ing employment of teachers without regard to race in Jessamine County, Fxankfort, Richmond and Bowling Green, and school board action to de segregate faculties in Jefferson and Warren counties. In the meanwhile, Martin said, his office is continuing to look into any complaints from teachers who feel their jobs are in jeopardy because of their race. (SSN May) argument over a desegregated religious instruction period. The Rev. Frank Ecimovich, pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help church in Belle Chasse, withdrew the charge of simple battery he had filed April 20 against Leonard H. Mackenroth. In asking that the charges be with drawn, an attorney for the priest said that the complainant “in no way wished to imply that any of the charges or statements (which he had made against the defendant) were not fully substan tiated or truthful.” He said the dis missal was asked by the priest in con sideration that “a certain amount of Christian charity had to be exercised toward this man.” An attorney for Mackenroth entered into the court record a statement saying that he had come into court “ready to go to trial . . . because I know from the facts of the case and the sworn evi dence that would have been submitted on trial that I would have been vindi cated because . . . Father Frank Eci movich was the aggressor.” Plaquemines Parish Commission Council President Leander H. Perez watched the proceedings from the empty jury box. After the case was disposed of, the parish political leader, who has been excommunicated from the Catholic Church because of his op position to desegregation of the paro chial schools, said the church hierarchy “made these false charges against Mr. Mackenroth to reflect against Plaque mines Parish.” Political Action Three Enter Primary Race For Governor Three candidates announced during June they would seek the Democratic party nomination for governor in the Dec. 7 primary. They are U.S. Rep. Gillis Long of Alexandria, State Rep. Louis Michot of Lafayette and State Sovereignty Com mission Chairman Frank Voelker Jr. of Lake Providence. Previously announced candidates in cluded State Public Service Commis sioner John McKeithen and former Lt. Gov. C. E. (Cap) Barnham. Other hope fuls said that they would announce at appropriate times. Included in the latter group are former Gov. Robert Kennon, U.S. Ambassador to the Organization of American States deLesseps S. Mor rison, former mayor of New Orleans; and State Supt. of Education Shelby M. Jackson. Of the three who launched their cam paigns last month, only Rep. Long touched directly on the race issue. Stressing the economic and education needs and potentials of the state, he told a fund raising dinner in New Or leans, “We cannot realize any of the goals if our state is tom apart by racial strife.” Long previously had mentioned one of the principal issues of the campaign by stating his opposition to the “un pledged electors” bill while it was un der consideration in the state legisla ture. Passed by a 57 to 45 vote in the House of Representatives on May 29, the measure suffered two defeats in the Senate on June 5 and 6, each time by a vote of 20 to 18. It’s Not All True What They Say About Dixie Dowling, New York Herald-Tribune Kentucky
