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PAGE 4—NOVEMBER, 1964—SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS
FLORIDA
Lee County’s Grade-a-Year Plan
Rejected by Court as Too Slow
MIAMI
A desegregation plan offered
by Lee County, the so-called
grade-a-year program approved
for several other Florida counties,
was rejected Oct. 29 by U.S. Dis
trict Judge Joseph Lieb at Tampa.
Judge Lieb turned down the pro
posal made by school board attorneys
after Earl M. Johnson of Jacksonville,
representing a group of 21 Negro chil
dren, said the pace was too slow.
The judge agreed and ordered the
school board to draw a new proposal.
“I do not believe it is possible for me
to give you a summary that is open and
shut,” he said, suggesting that the
board and the plaintiffs talk over then-
ideas and try to reach an understand
ing.
Judge Lieb’s decision at what was
expected to be a routine final hearing
in the suit (Blalock v. Board of Public
Instruction of Lee County) filed last
August raised concern among school
officials.
Meeting Sought
The Lee County school board sought
to arrange an emergency meeting to
discuss the development. Several other
counties which are proceeding under
grade-a-year plans faced the possibility
of further court action to speed up
the pace.
Judge Lieb’s decision is contrary to
recent rulings in other Florida cases
where courts have refused to interfere
in grade-a-year programs.
The latest was last August in Jack
sonville where District Judge Bryan
Simpson turned down a plea to reopen
the case involving Duval County on
the ground that little desegregation had
taken place in the first two years.
Judge Simpson warned at that time,
however, that if more was not accomp
lished soon he might change his mind.
Schoolmen
Report Says Miami
Is Moving Toward
Full Desegregation
Progress toward complete desegrega
tion of schools in Dade County has
been substantial, the Metro Community
Relations Board reported Oct. 12 in the
third of a continuing series of studies.
Of the 203 schools in the system, 51
have been desegregated, with 51,658
white students in classes with 4,855
Negroes.
In 23 of these schools, desegregation
is considered more than “token” with
the proportion of Negroes to whites
more than one per cent, and in some
the balance of races is almost even.
The board found that faculties of 24
schools have been desegregated this
year, compared with five last year. Of
the 24, 16 have student bodies made up
of only one race.
Four schools have desegregated ad
ministrative staffs and almost all schools
in the system have desegregated other
employe categories such as watchmen,
custodial and lunchroom workers. The
board said, however, that all-Negro
schools generally employ only Negroes.
Interviews Cited
These facts, the relations board re
ported, were gathered in interviews
with school principals and were based
on estimates and observation. Record
keeping on the basis of race has been
discontinued by the school board and
no official statistics exist in this area.
Commenting on its findings, the
Community Relations Board said:
“Although a racial balance of 15 per
cent Negro to 85 per cent white in all
schools would be considered ideal,
based on the Negro-white ratio, it
would be virtually impossible to attain
without the use of artificial methods
such as busing and special assignment
techniques.
“The patterns of segregated residen
tial housing prevent complete school
integration because of the neighborhood
school principle. Assignment of children
to proximate neighborhood schools,
particularly at the elementary school
level, is a well established principle
Florida Highlights
Lee County’s grade-a-year desegre
gation plan, similar to that in effect
in several other counties, was un
expectedly rejected by the federal
court at Tampa.
Dade County has made substantial
progress toward the goal of full
school desegregation, the Community
Relations Board found after a study.
The football team of desegregated
Niceville High School kept two Ne
gro players on the squad despite
cancellation of three games by sched
uled opponents.
A new move to desegregate
schools in Indian River County was
made by the NAACP.
When strong opposition developed
to a plan to phase out Florida A&M
University as a separate institution
for Negroes, the Board of Control
gave assurances its present status
would continue indefinitely.
—tETx "" v ~
here in Dade County and in many other
centers around the country.”
Neighborhood changes are quickly
reflected in the schools. The board’s
study showed that one school, Alla-
pattah Elementary, had 1,081 white
and 40 Negro pupils at the end of the
1961-62 year. As of June, 1964, there
were 250 white and 1,580 Negro chil
dren.
“One of the criticisms of ‘separate but
equal,’ schools is that the quality of
education is not equal,” the report went
on. “This has been proven numerous
times in the inability of Negroes educa
ted in such systems to compete on an
equal basis with their white peers.
“Another criticism is that separation
of the races, especially amongst chil
dren, builds and reinforces prejudices
whereas proximity with fellow students
and faculty of different races creates
tolerance and understanding.
“Efforts by the school system to as
sign white teachers to all Negro schools
is a positive step toward equalizing ed
ucational opportunities.”
Future Course
The future course of desegregation,
according to plans of the school board,
calls for phasing out three all-Negro
high schools, leaving only one in this
category.
The development, to be completed
by 1967, raises employment problems
for three Negro football coaches. They
are scheduled to remain as teachers
when the schools become desegregated
junior highs, but will have no opportu
nity to coach.
James Wanza, coach at Northwestern,
which will remain all-Negro , said:
“This is no simple problem. Either way,
you run into problems that take years
to overcome.
“Negro coaches apparently face some
In the Colleges
The plan of the State Board of Control
to phase out Florida A&M University as
soon as it ceases to serve a majority of
the state’s Negro college students raised
a storm of protest.
Objections were voiced by Negro ed
ucators, members of the legislature and
by some newspapers.
Bill Baggs, editor of the Miami News,
called the suggestion “some of the silli
est talk being heard in Florida.”
“Where would thousands of young
Negro women and men go from their
high schools if
Florida A&M were
plowed under?”
he asked in his
front-page col
umn.
“A cruel truth
in our education
today is that the
elementary and
secondary schools
attended by Ne
groes too often are
baggs below the stand
ards of white schools.
“It is not uncommon for a young Ne
gro to take the entrance examination at
tough years. But I think the most im
portant thing is this: That we, the
coaches, be willing to make any sacri
fice to guarantee a better education and
future for our Negro youth.
“I personally would resign my coach
ing position before I would do anything
or say anything to keep our youth
from becoming first-class American
citizens.
“Let’s face the facts. We have good
facilities in the state. But none of them
compare to those available in the pre
dominantly white schools.
“Negro coaches must be prepared to
face some startling facts. They will have
to compete with white coaches for jobs
as coaching positions open up in new
and old schools.”
One of the Negro coaches threatened
with the loss of his job is Traz Powell,
who has been turning out winning
football teams at George Washington
Carver High for 18 years.
Powell and others in his situation,
said Wanza, might be unwilling to start
over again as assistant coaches.
As all-Negro teams decrease, sched
uling becomes a problem for those that
remain.
★ ★ ★
Desegregation of Football
Poses Schedule Problem
Desegregation in sports raised a ques
tion for the football team of Niceville
High School in Okaloosa county.
Because it has two Negro players on
the squad, Niceville High’s scheduled
games with Marianna High of Marianna
and Walton High of Defuniak Springs
were cancelled. So was the Oct. 16 game
with Port St. Joe High.
Harry Howell, Marianna High prin
cipal, said the Oct. 1 game with Nice
ville was called off “by mutual agree
ment.” Coach Buddy Supple of Niceville
High said the Walton school suggested
calling off the game at Defuniak Springs
because of the possibility of trouble.
Niceville High was desegregated last
year under an agreement with federal
authorities. Oklaloosa County, which
is the site of Eglin Air Force Base, re
ceives federal funds to serve children
of military personnel and began deseg
regation voluntarily to avoid losing this
money.
Negro Brothers
When Charles and Jimmy Williams,
Negro brothers, appeared for football
practice they were accepted even
though the school authorities realized
this might lead to schedule difficulties.
Charles won a place as right halfback.
“The coach and I talked over the
situation,” said Niceville Principle Orus
Kinney. “There were only two ques
tions. Was the boy eligible? Yes. Did
the coach intend to suit him up for the
squad? Yes. The boy is good, the coach
said, and would make the team. So that
was that.”
The 33 white members of the squad
Florida A&M and find subjects he never
studied in high school. Thus in a sense
the freshmen and sophomore students
are in a race to catch up, and many do.”
Says Allowances Made
The university, said Baggs, makes
allowances that would not be possible
elsewhere and its loss would be serious
for many young Negroes unable to
meet the standards of other university
branches.
At the Oct. 26 meeting of the Board
of Control, Dr. George Gore, FAMU
president, asked that board members
“alleviate the shock” caused by an
nouncement of the phase-out plan. He
said it had disturbed faculty, students
and alumni of the land-grant univer
sity founded in 1887.
He received unofficial assurance that
the proposal would not receive formal
approval. One board member, Dr.
Charles Forman of Fort Lauderdale,
said: “You will have A&M as long
as you have Florida.”
Despite this development, the dis
cussion continued of the place of sep
arate Negro educational institutions,
Plan To Phase Out A&M
Southern School News
Southern School News is the official publication of the Southern Education
Reporting Service, an objective, fact-finding agency established by Southern
newspaper editors and educators with the aim of providing accurate, unbiased
information to school administrators, public officials and interested lay citizens
on developments in education arising from the U. S. Supreme Court opinion of
May 17, 1954, declaring compulsory segregation in the public schools unconsti
tutional. SERS is not an advocate, is neither pro-segregation nor anti-segregation,
but simply reports the facts as it finds them, state-by-state.
Published monthly by Southern Education Reporting Service at 1109 19th Ave.,
S., Nashville, Tennessee.
Second class postage paid at Nashville, Tennessee.
OFFICERS
C. A. McKnight Chairman
Alexander Heard Vice-Chairman
Reed Sarratt Executive Director
Tom Flake, Director of Publications
Jim Leeson, Director of Information and Research
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Luther H. Foster, President, Tuskegee
Institute, Tuskegee Institute, Ala.
Alexander Heard, Chancellor, Vander
bilt University, Nashville, Tenn.
C. A. McKnight, Editor, Charotte Ob
server, Charlotte, N.C.
Charles Moss, Executive Editor, Nash
ville Banner, Nashville, Tenn.
John N. Popham, General Managing
Editor, Chattanooga Times, Chatta
nooga, Tenn.
Felix C. Robb, President, George Pea
body College, Nashville, Tenn.
Reed Sarratt, Executive Director,
Southern Education Reporting Serv
ice, Nashville, Tenn.
John Seigenthaler, Editor, Nashville
Tennessean, Nashville, Tenn.
Don Shoemaker, Editor, Miami Herald,
Miami, Fla.
Bert Struby, General Manager, Macon
Telegraph and News, Macon, Ga.
Thomas R. Waring, Editor, The News
and Courier, Charleston, S.C.
Henry I. Willett, Superintendent of
Schools, Richmond, Va.
Stephen J. Wright, President, Fisk Uni
versity, Nashville, Tenn.
CORRESPONDENTS
ALABAMA
William H. McDonald, Chief Editor
ial Writer, Alabama Journal, Mont
gomery.
ARKANSAS
Wiliam T. Shelton, City Editor, Ar
kansas Gazette, Little Rock
FLORIDA
Bert Collier, Editorial Writer, Miami
Herald
GEORGIA
Joseph B. Parham, Editor, The Macon
News
LOUISIANA
Patrick E. McCauley, Editorial
Writer, New Orleans Times-Picayune
MISSISSIPPI
William Peart, Staff Writer, Jackson
Daily News
NORTH CAROLINA
Luix Overbea, Staff Writer, The
Journal-Sentinel, Winston-Salem
SOUTH CAROLINA
William E. Rone, Jr., City Editor,
The State, Columbia
TENNESSEE
Ken Morell, Staff Writer, Nashville
Banner
TEXAS
Richard M. Morehead, Austin Bu
reau, Dallas News
VIRGINIA
Overton Jones, Associate Editor,
Richmond Times-Dispatch
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
Erwin Knoll, Washington Bureau,
Newhouse Newspapers
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accepted the decision without question.
After the first two scheduled opponents
cancelled, they voted to back the coach.
Opponents must play with the full
squad or not at all, they agreed.
Bobby F. Brown, coach at the Port
St. Joe High, said that school forfeited
a $1,100 guarantee by cancelling its
game with Niceville Oct. 16.
“We knew the two Negroes were eli
gible—they’re as eligible to play as any
one,” he said. “We knew this thing was
coming. We just didn’t want to be the
first.”
But Brown said he admired the
spirit of the Niceville players in stick
ing by their coach and their teammates.
Although the team is not sure of its
future, it has managed to play four
games so far, winning one, tying one
and losing two.
Is Protested
which often have lower standards.
A move to relocate Florida Memorial
College from St. Augustine to Miami
is causing some debate. Tobias Simon,
a Miami civil rights attorney who spear
headed efforts to close the law school
at FAMU, strongly opposes Florida
Memorial’s plans.
Simon, a member of the Florida Ad
visory Committee to the U.S. Commis
sion on Civil Rights, said he will ask
the national agency to do everything
possible to prevent establishment of the
Negro college in Miami. Florida Me
morial is a private church-affiliated in
stitution with a desegregated faculty
but has only Negro students.
“In my opinion,” said Simon, “it
would constitute another area in which
apathetic Negro students could pretend
to themselves they were receiving an
education instead of competing as they
should in the excellent integrated
schools that have been created in the
(Miami) area.”
Dade School Board member Jack
Gordon has taken a similar stand. Gor
don has been active in the move to
desegregate all educational activities.
Consolidated Education
For Adults Advocated
Pressure for desegregation in Indian
River County continued with a petition
to consolidate proposed adult education
courses now being planned separately
for a white and a Negro high school.
The petition was filed at a public
hearing called by the school board. A
group of Negroes from the Vero Beach
NAACP chapter said better opportu
nities for Negro adult students would
result from a single school.
The school board said no action could
be taken untill the classes are organized.
If duplication then exists, members de
clared, steps will be considered to re "
move it.
The board has been studying a po
tion by two Negro parents to enro
their children in a white school at Vero
Beach. A public hearing set for Oct.
was postponed for a month. ,
Indian River has no desegrega
schools at this time.
NAACP, Board
Drop Lawsuits
ST. LOISIS
T he National Association far
the Advancement of Co or
People (Missouri branc
dropped a suit Oct. 24 whic
accused the St. Louis Boar ^
Education of operating a se ^
gated public school syst ertl
violation of the Constitution. ^
At the same time, the sc /l°?rp and
dropped its suit to bar the NAA
other civil rights groups * ro ”\ rta tion
fering with the board’s transpo .jjc
policies or boycotting the ci y
schools. mo-
Attomeys for both P ar ^® s , jjsrniss
tions in U.S. District Cour oU nds
the respective actions on t e aC gon
there was no longer a cause
and the questions were moo 1 n the
Judge John K. Regan, actl ^ ts with'
motions, dismissed the two ^ ^ ro g.'J
out prejudice, meaning tha