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SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS—APRIL, 1964—PAGE 17 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Mansfield Says Senate May Debate Until Fall (Continued From Page 1) “imbalance” amendment even for the 5a ke of putting civil-rights supporters in an embarrassing light. He said he would not want to see children in rural sections of his state carried “34 miles a l on g narrow mountain roads” each day to achieve a better racial distribu tion in the schools. Others who addressed themselves in detail to the bill’s school desegregation section included Sen. Spessard L. Hol land (D-Fla.), who spoke for more than three hours on March 19, and Sen. Lister Hill (D-Ala.), who complained that the language authorizing the At torney General to bring desegregation suits in the name of the federal gov ernment constituted an infringement of the right to trial by jury. Sen. Abraham Ribicoff (D-Conn.) offered to introduce a jury trial amendment if it would in duce Hill to support the bill. The bills’s Title VI, providing for nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs, also came under heavy fire. Sen. John Sparkman (D-Ala.) charged March 20 that the provision was in conflict with the Johnson Administra tion’s “war on poverty,” since it would chiefly affect programs designed to benefit low-income groups. At the end of March, supporters of the bill began presenting detailed jus tifications of its provisions. The Sen ate moved to convene each day at 10 a.m.—two hours earlier than the usual starting time—and to sit later in the evening in preparation for months of extended debate. School Boycott Plans Cancelled After Discussions A threatened boycott of Washington Public schools that had been scheduled |°r April 20 was called off March 31 y Julius Hobson, chairman of the ashington chapter of the Congress of racial Equality (CORE). After a closed CORE meeting, Hobson °d reporters he was convinced that “Strict School Supt. Carl F. Hansen ''' as acting in good faith” to meet ost of CORE’s demands for school im provements. ^Cancellation of the boycott plans fol- ed a series of conferences between ”3®sen and Negro leaders. Civil-rights /Sanizations * n Washington generally opposed the idea of a boycott agamst local schools. Plans for the April 20 demonstration tion”°^ eSt <<poor Quality of educa- th e m sc h°°ls in poorer sections of March 7 ~ e r e announced by CORE de-j y Lighteen public schools were Wortt M ^ ar ® e ^ s the threatened Cn March 9 the Baptist Ministers’ Wre Supposed To Cheer!’ Knox, Nashville Banner ft D. C. Highlights School desegregation and federal fund cutoff provisions of the civil- rights bill came under attack as Sen ate supporters of the measure raised the possibility of a summer-long de bate. A boycott of Washingon schools that had been tentatively scheduled for April 20 was cancelled by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). School Supt. Carl T. Han sen and civil-rights leaders reported substantial agreement on steps to re solve school problems. School Supt. Carl F. Hansen was reappointed to a new three-year term, with one member of the nine-man Board of Education voting opposition and one member abstaining. A high Pentagon official announced efforts to recruit more Negroes and other minority group members as students at the armed services acad emies. Conference of Washington and Vicinity, representing a majority of the Negro churchgoers in the metropolitan area, issued a statement opposing the boy cott. The ministers acknowledged that there were problems in the school sys tem, but said boycott sponsors had “not sought to adjust their grievances through channels.” Eleven Negro leaders in a statement on March 10 said the proposed school boycott could not “favorably affect” school problems and was unjustified “at this time.” The group—including offi cials of the NAACP and the Urban League—said they would submit rec ommendations to Hansen “to remedy existing ills.” Hansen ‘Receptive’ The superintendent, who had de plored the announced plans for a boy cott, said he would listen to the Ne gro leaders’ recommendations “with a great deal of receptivity.” He met with the group in a two- and-a-half-hour closed conference on March 11, and agreed that more Dis trict pupils should be transferred from overcrowded to undercapacity school buildings. Hansen also expressed general agree ment with proposals to set up a citi zens’ committee to study school system operations; to establish a large-scale tutoring program; to survey schools and ensure that all have adequate sup plies, and to take steps to improve the schools’ human relations program. The meeting was described as cor dial. The only major difference of opin ion between the Negro leaders and Hansen was in the superintendent s continuing opposition to public busing of students to under-capacity schools. But Hansen agreed to step up the school system's open enrollment policy, and named eight elementary schools, one junior and two senior highs that would be “open” to receive students from overcrowded buildings. The su perintendent also agreed to study a proposal to extend the school day in overcrowded schools to provide a fuller schedule for double-shift pupils P-T A Opposition Firm opposition to the boycott plan was announced March 17 by the Dis trict Congress of Parents and Teachers and by the Potomac Presbytery, rep resenting 48 Southern Presbyterian churches. The church group expressed “gratitude” to Hansen and the District School Board for their efforts to im prove the school system. Hansen met with the CORE chair man on March 23 and said after the conference that “there is no difference of opinion between any of us on the need for maximum quality of education for every child in our school system.” Hobson said he was “encouraged by what we heard” in the meet'ng and hinted that the boycott might be called off. He said he would ask CORE to re examine its position. After heated discussion at a March 24 meeting, the CORE chapter put off a decision on cancelling the boycott. But the boycott was called off and Vintroux, Charleston (W. Va.) Gazette Hobson said he and other civil rights leaders would meet with Hansen April 30 to discuss further steps that might be taken to cope with racial and edu cational problems in the school system. Hansen Gets New Term as District Superintendent District School Supt. Carl F. Han sen was reappointed to a three-year term by action of the Board of Edu cation March 18. Seven of the nine Board members voted for the reap pointment. Mordecai W. Johnson, president emeritus of Howard University, cast the only “no” vote. Euphemia L. Haynes abstained in the balloting. There was no discussion of the reappointment dur ing the meeting. Hansen later expressed disappoint ment that he had not been endorsed by a unanimous vote. Johnson, who has sharply criticized teacher selection procedures in the school system, said after the meeting that he had decided to oppose Han sen’s reappointment after long consid eration, but would continue to support the superintendent’s actions. Mrs. Haynes said she abstained be cause it was her understanding that the superintendent’s work was to be evaluated before the board acted on a new term. Previously as assistant school super intendent and since 1958 as superin tendent, Hansen has played a key role in desegregation of the District school system. He is the author of the sys tem’s four-track plan of ability group ing. Negro Students Urged To Enter Service Academies The top Defense Department offi cial concerned with civil rights prob lems said March 24 that he is trying to recruit qualified Negro high school graduates to enter the U. S. service academies. Only 32 Negro cadets now are en rolled among 9,000 students at West Point, Annapolis and the Air Force Academy, said Alfred B. Fitt, deputy assistant secretary of defense for civil rights. “Lots of Negro youngsters just don’t dream they have a chance,” Fitt said. He reported that he has been urging school officials to encourage fully-qual ified Negro youths to seek appointment to the academies. “We want to preserve the high stand ards of the academies,” Fitt stressed. He said the recruitment effort encom passes Puerto Ricans, Mexican-Ameri- cans and other minority group mem bers as well as Negroes. ‘I’ll Talk You to Death’ Basset, Knoxville News-Sentinel NORTH CAROLINA Single State Of Teachers (Continued From Page 16) Du Vissette v. Cabarrus County Board of Education—Filed Oct. 25, 1963 in behalf of 108 Negro children. Judge Stanley approved a plan giving Negroes a June 15, 1964 deadline for requesting reassignment for the 1964- 65 school year. Both sides are to con fer before Feb. 15, 1965, to make plans for the 1965-66 school year. Ziglar et al. v. Reidsville Board of Education—Filed Nov. 30, 1962, by par ents of four Negro children. Two Ne groes now attend two previously all- white schools in Reidsville. Both sides are to make plans for subsequent school years and appear before Judge Stanley in early 1965. NAACP Comments Jesse DeVore, public information di rector for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said the three consent orders “will enable some 500 Negro children in these school dis tricts to immediately obtain a deseg regated education during the 1964-65 school year by request.” In addition to these cases, DeVore said negotiations were far advanced in Gill v. City of Concord Board of Edu cation, Thompson v. Durham County Board of Education, Gilmer v. City of High Point Board of Education and Ford v. Cumberland County Board of Education. “It is expected that similar consent agreements will be reached in these cases within the next few weeks,” DeVore said. Attorney Derrick Bell of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, said this “free- dom-of-ehoice” plan is advantageous in that it enables Negro parents who wish to have their children obtain a desegregated education to obtain such desegregated education at the earliest possible time. Board Policy DeVore said, “The plan also removes the need for the board by official or unofficial policy, to grant transfers to Negro and white students who other wise would be assigned, against their will, to desegregated schools.” He noted, “Such practices are usually necessary where the board is required to deseg regate one or more full grades by as signing all pupils according to non- racial criteria.” Attorney Bell emphasized that the plans agreed upon are for one year only and do not bar plaintiffs from seeking, with court aid if necessary, the desegregation of other aspects of the school system including desegre gation of teacher assignments. “While all of the agreements thus for reached are in the federal Middle District of North Carolina,” said De Vore, “it is hoped that similar agree ments can be reached in both the east ern and western parts of the state.” ★ ★ ★ High Point Delay Judge Stanley postponed the pre trial conference data of Gilmore et al v. High Point City Board of Education until April 16 to give attorneys for both sides time to work out a deseg regation plan suitable to both. The original suit filed March 13, 1963, by parents of eight Negro chil dren seeking com plete desegrega tion of High Point schools in the as signment of teachers, students and school personnel. Lawyers for both sides have been conferring during the current school year, but request more time to make an agreement. They are to meet by April 10. Currently 35 Negro students are at tending six predominantly white schools in High Point. The city has approved a geographical pupil assign ment plan to replace the old individual assignment program. ★ ★ ★ Lexington Parents Ask Desegregation Parents of nine Negro children filed suit March 4 in the U. S. Middle Dis trict Court in Greensboro against the Lexington City Board of Education, re questing desegregation of the school system in the assignment of teachers and pupils. The suit, Sowers et al. v. Lexington City Board of Education, declared that RIBICOFF HILL STANLEY Association Is Endorsed the city school system operates on a segregated basis in school zones, at tendance areas, teacher assignments, school personnel assignment, school budgets and other facets of operation. The complaint seeks “a preliminary and permanent injunction enjoining the Lexington City Board of Education, its members and its superintendent from continuing the policy, practice, custom and usage of discriminating against the plaintiffs and other Negro citizens of Lexington . . . because of race and color . . .” The suit also seeks to get the school board to transfer the plaintiffs to pre viously all-white schools in the 1964- 65 school year or submit a plan for a “unitary, nonracial” school system for the 1964-65 school year. Judge Edwin M. Stanley of the U. S. Middle District Court granted the de fendants a delay in the filing of an answer. The school board is to answer April 22. C. A. Erickson, board chairman, said the board and its lawyers needed more time for study “in view of many new developments in this area of the law, including a number of fairly recent decisions, which may affect the po sition our board will take.” Lexington operates six schools for white children and three schools for Negro children. Schoolmen Negro Majority Goes No Further Than High School The number of Negroes graduating from high schools in North Carolina is increasing at a pace equal with that of whites, but the number continuing their education among Negroes is de creasing in percentage. White high- school graduates, however, are con tinuing their education in a large per centage. These figures were revealed in the March, 1964 issue of State School Facts, published by the North Carolina De partment of Public Instruction. The figures are based on a survey of state- high-school graduation figures between 1958 and 1963. On a state level, 48,480 seniors fin ished high school in 1963 compared to 40,128 in 1958, an increase of 20.8 per cent. This percentage increase was the same for both races (with whites in cluding Indians), with white graduates increasing from 30,223 to 36,524 and Negroes increasing from 9,905 to 11,956. A significant figure among Negro grad uates is the great increase of boys, 34.6 per cent, from 4,415 to 5,941, to only 9.6 per cent for girls, from 5,490 to 6,015. Negro boys comprised 49.7 per cent of the 1963 graduates. Among white boys, the increase was great, too, with boys comprising 51.9 per cent of 1963 graduates, the first year more boys than girls received high-school diplomas. The percentage of Negroes taking no further training after high schools has increased slightly during the past five years from 60.9 per cent to 61.3 per cent, with the increase being among the boys. In 1963, 62 per cent of the Negro boys did no further study, com pared to 61.3 per cent in 1958. The girls’ percentage remained the same, 60.7 per cent. Among whites, the percentage end ing formal education decreased from 49.7 per cent to 43.8 per cent. A larger percentage of whites, 39.1, enrolled in college than Negroes, 27.1 per cent, in 1963. Among whites more boys, 37.3 per cent, than girls, 35 per cent, went to college. More Negro girls, 30.6 per cent, however, attended college than boys, 23.1 per cent. The five-year increase among whites in college en rollment, 33.7 per cent, was much greater than that among Negroes, 15.5 per cent. Figures for trade, nursing, business and other schools showed that white enrollment increased faster, 62.7 per cent, than Negroes, 18.2 per cent. A larger percentage of whites, 12.5, en tered these schools than Negroes, 6.3 per cent. More Negro high-school graduates by per centage are joining the military service, 5.3, an increase of 47 per cent in five years, than whites, 4.6 per cent, a decrease of 1.3 per cent. Negroes protesting what they called inferior schools and seeking the dis- (See NORTH CAROLINA, Page 19)