Newspapers / The Carolina Times (Durham, … / June 9, 1962, edition 1 / Page 2
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THE CAROLINA TIMES 3-A—SATURDAY, JUNE % 1962 DURHAM, li C. LOOKING FOR A SPONSOR, niR. PRESIDENT The Victory in the Louisiana Sit-In Cast HWrten on the back or inside pa^es of MUtiiiern niwspa4)ers this week was the story •f tfte fireing- of six participants in the sit-in case of Louisiana by the U- S' Supreme Court. Itnstead of the usual glaring headlines, when 4i revf rse ruling of a federal court in a segre* case is handed down, the southern Atly press, as a whole, made as little noise a* poesibU about the verdict. Either there was fear of encouraging: a continuance of sit- kt attacks on the crumbling walls of segrcga^ tion or there was journalistic shame ftir the futilt efforts of the .southern press t« infhieiu'o Iht Stipreme Court in rendering a verdict more in keqjing with segregationist desires. Whatever the reason for the little note given the Supreme Court's verdict by south ern daily newspapers, it is certain a majoritj of the«i wiU. tread more cautiously in the tu- forfr when it comes to giving support to the 4*ase of segregation, especially where sit-in participants are concerned. The verdict slap down previous rulings of tRe tower courts in such matters and settles f»r all time police attempts to charge Negroes with trespassing merely behiuse they enter waiting roorns in bus and train stations that are designated "for whites only.” The verdict is certain to be received by Negro leaders aJl over the nation with a degree of satisfactica. We trust, however, that it will also serve to remind them of the tremendous cost m time, money and energy that it takes to obtain even this small anw»u«t of freeilom. The victory in the Louisiana case should be gool for several hundrel thousanl new memberships in the National Associa tion for the Advancement of Colored T'eople and other organizations that are waging re- lenties.s fights to secure basic rights for Ne groes in this country. Without such organi zations. it is not hard to imagine what the future woukl be for southern Negroes. Ttie Future of Negro Children at Stake If Durham becomes the scene next year ot numerous sit-ins. picketing, federal suits and other efforts of Negroes to secure their rights as American citizens, the people of this city will have its Board of Education to thank. No gr^up of people has ever been handed a rawer deal than that which the Board is now at tempting to perpetrate against the Negro *chool children of Durham. If their parents allow this crime to go unchallenged, they are unworthy of the name of American citizens and unfit for the sacrcd trust of parenthood. As pointed out in an article appearing else where on this page under the captain “Dur ham’s Board of Education Plans Robber)* of Negro School Cliildren.” and agam and again in previous editorials of this newspaper, the City Board of Education does not intend to comply with the federal court order to inte grate the schools of Durham. On the other hand it is plainly evjdent tb*t Negro citizens here have one, and only ona, chance to secure equal educational advantages for tlielr chii* dren, and that is to geek a .restraining order in the federal courts that will pf-oliibit the schools from operating under the segregated pattern as planned by the City Board of Edu cation. Because of the seriousness of this black and vicious crime plotted against Negro school children, we call upon their parents, relatives and friends to rise up as one man in their defense, whatever the cost. This is no houi to ([uibble. this is no hour to shrink from fluty; this is an hour when the future of not only your children has been threatned but perha;'? that of your country. For who knows but that the very fate of America may be de termined on tomorrow by the kind of educa tion all of our children receive today. If providence decrees in the years to come that the destiny of our counrty. standing at bay with the common enemy, should fall into black hands for determination, let it never be said that they were unprepared be cause a lamnable set of vicious little men, b'inded by prejudice and race hatred, denied them the right to equal educational opportu nities in their own native land. God's Word Imparts Courage to Stand Tr^. \ Byi RiV HAROCD ROLAND ACTION OF INTEGRATION ANALYZED "1 make my defence with confidence . . " Aets 24ill. What things are essential for one to stand with confidence amid false accusations? A certain knowledge of the right ness of one’s cause will en able a human being to stand with courageous confidence. P»iil knew that he had not wilfully done anything de serving of his arrest and im prisonment. Thus we see the preacher of the Gospel stand- ine with confidence in perilous times.. Hatred is ready to ex plode with violent fury against him but he stands with a rare kind of confidence in the face of thre^its. So we hpnr him say:. . ‘‘I make my defence with confidence . .” The man who is standing wi^ God Almighrty can air ways stand with confidenfe. God promises to stand with his servants. It is a blessed assurance to know that you can count on God’s word. The w^nrd of the High and the Holy One will never fail you. God’s word will stand when the world’s fading glories have perished. All created things will pass av/ay but God’s word will stand forever and ever . . “The grass with ers, the flower fi^les but the word of God shall stand for ever . , The guarantee of God’s iword then is the secret and the basis of this man ot God’s I confidence amid the perils ^nd threats of his ar rest an^ imprisonment. Joseph stands in Egypt with confid ence amid' the evil schemes of unholy ' men. The secret of standing witii confidence is to take your stand on God’s Eternal word. Righteousness gives an un shakable confidence Wrong is ultimately weak for it has no power to undergird nor sup port it. But right, thank God, is a mighty moral power. Yes, right is power because it has a Divine back. So to be able to stand in this world of sin and evil you must try to be See INSIGHT, 6-A Durham’s Board Of Education Plans Robbery Of Negro School Children KAop S. G. Spottswood Favors Meltiodist Merger j In the jSBm-i ^Ourch In the crusade to bring about the unvflca- the 2i^|hadi^ Ep«sfnpal^ ■the A frfcsHT Methodist Episcopal ^ion* lurch and the Christian' Methodist Epis copal Church, we are happr to welconrr to our cause Bishop^^when (}. Spottswood of the AME Zion Chur^- On page 5-B in this week’s issue of the Carolina Times, we have published awwmHC-ement- -of-■«- statement give their full supjtort to the tnorement; for all is said a^ do«^ it fc the^ who^pay (he fiddler, or shoul^ w'e My tw Arte fiddlers of the AME, AME Zion and (fME denomina- ions. Although Bishop Spottswood did not mention any economic reasons for unification, it is our belief that several hundred thousand dollars could be saved annually in salaries of general officers and tither expenses, if the made by Bishop .Spottswood on the subject that (Reserves careful and thoughtful consid eration by every member of all three of these branches of Methodism, from their senior bishops on down to the humblest member. After such a unicm is accomjtlished liishop ^pottswoocl hopes for a union of all Method ists, without regard to race with the ultimate goal, a union of all protestant churches. It is our hope that other bishopFvond leadr ers of the three denominations will ■give pulii- He utterances to the cause and hnd their in fluence and enerpy- towrrnr itr'flltimate achievement. Especially lay leaders should three branches of Methodism could be united into one organization- As pointed out by Bisboj) Spottswood, the l)resent trend is toward mergers of churches with “similar polities and comparable theolo gies.” Certainly, there are no three different denominations in .America more siniilair in polity than the AME, AMEZ and (ME churches. W'e think the time has come for till- ministers and laymen to demand their uni- ficalion now in order that they may be Hironger and better qualified for eventually uniting with other denominations that is sure to come if the trend in church mergers now underway continues. Time For Forthright Action The Carolina Times joins the alumni ,ind friemis of Shaw University in exi>ressing re grets at the present itftheaval of the students of . that institution. Those close to Shaw, including the members ..f its trustee board, have known for a long time that there was a fround sw^ell taking place at the school and that there was a definite neel for f..rthright action. Therefore, the present explosion did come without forewarning, but because Shaw s governing body, the trustee board ap- ^rs to have been wW.stTing in the dark with the hope that the existing tr.jijble would aright Itself. We are unable to .say who was directlv at fault at the beginning of the upheaval at Shaw Umversity. the .students fyr the administra- drC^^^dii»0 PiUlilMd tftrj Saturday at Dtonam, N. C. ttf United Publishers, Inc. L. E. AUSTIN, I>ukli8her TakfiiiMa: M2^MU aad 681-8913 |ktarad u i^ood clau matter at the Post Ofltoa ' al Noctli CMwUna. under the Act of Mattii t, I87t Da1iai% North Carelna nfeMlpri Oflhw locata* at |M K Pettigrew it IOB8CSIFTION RMH: M.00 PEB YBAB 9ke Miwpaper reaewes the rii^t to make changes Jk aS Burterial publitbed, except for letters to the It doea »ot gnaraatee return of unaolicited tion. It does apjtear, however, that the trus tee board has failed to live up to its full re sponsibility by failing to act in the past on a conilition that a child could plainly see needed positive action to keep it from getting out of control. Thus, members of the trustee board will now have to face up to a major operation at the school which may even in clude that of securing a new president for Shaw. One thing is certain, the school cannot hope to make the progress it should under existing circumstances. There is a definite need for an administration with vision and imagi nation. After all, Shaw University is bigger than any ]>ers»n or persons connected with it: and if it takes the removal of one or more of its present faculty for the betterment aad future of the school, its trustee board ought to have the moral fibre to stand up to its responsibility aad act. SCHOOL DESKREGATtON LAGS IN N. C In spite of impressioas to the contrary, North Carolina has made little progress in school desegregation. The vast majority o4 our public school# remain completely segre gated. Only Chapel Hilt, which desegregated the first grade last year, and Durham may be said to have made b«gi(inin|fs toward desegte- gation. Durkam. hy conat order, wiM make geographical asaifnments to elementary schools for the fall term. IDITOR'S MOTI: The follow- inf article, prepared by the Durham Cemmittee on Negro Affair*, Miaiyxes recent act ion of the Durham Board of Iducation In establishing seventh grades at leverai Ne gro elemenfery schools, and shew* how ihit action fit* Into a general policy pursued by M>a Beerd on the issue of puWie school Integration. The nupll assignment resolu- tims for the 1M2.194S school jreai’. recently adonted and siii' nouneed by the Durham City li^rd of Education .demW' •Irate aeain the rwlelepcejtf Ibat onfiM^K\io dpmply with the ejear reauire- ments of eonstitutinnal law ofa' dweregation in nnhllc schools bV its eoniinulng to or^nnlze and operate the Durham schools on an almont totally seere- baM^. These new reso- liitiona bJsq Doint directlv to items of serious inequalifv between Npgro and white sehnols nf this citv that wen» outlawed twelve years ago and that have not yet b»»en era- dieated bv the local sehoo] authorities. Tn i^s ]f>,M oninlon in the School Segregaton cases the Simreme Pourt of the United States said. "Separate edoeational faeili- ties are inherently unequal To spnarate Negro pupils from* others of similar age- and' oualifieations solelv because fit their race generates a feeling of Inferiority as to their status in the community that mav af fect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely ever to be un-' done. Scffreeation of white and' colored children in the pupllc schools has a tendency to rtf- tard the educational and men tal develonment of Neero children and to deorive them of dome ot the benefits they would reeeive in a racially in- tei^uted school svstpm." The Court concluded that by reason of segregation Neffro punils are deorived of the equal oroteetion of the laws piiaranteed bv *he Fourteenth ■ Am«‘ndm»>nt. A yesr later it dl- . reeted that local school aiithor- Wie* should proceed with all deliberate speed to accord fo Negro nupils their constitution al right to be educated In public .schools (H-ganized and operated without regard to race. Now in 1M2. seven ymarn later, the Durban* School Board haa adopted puoil aa- slanment policies for the moct school year which have ttie studied design and purpoa* to effect for one more year as nearly one hundred ner o||it rarial segregation In the schools as can be had vmtfr the restrictions nlaeed on thii Board recently by the Federal Dlstftet Court. This Hoard sim>^1v to aee the Negwi punilirof DifHurn as free #merican eitiMW* anual to ail other ounils in ttie aad tolly an> titled to enjoy equal, unsegre gated education; it has taken not one single voluntary step In compliance with this con stitutional law regarding the rights of these Negro pupils. Rather, this Board has taken the position that it will move toward school desegregation only if, as, and when it is specifically ordered so to do by a court, and even tWfn it will resort to evary' possible stratagem it can devlse-includ ing some morally questionable ones - to keep the races segre gated in the Durljam school*. It li /article fageinB by the CHy to cite some evidence of mark ed racial inequalities in the schools; It will appear that dis criminatory acts of the Board add up to a dishonest and im- mpral program of action that sullies the honor and integrity of the City of Durham and Its school system. Item 1. Having been told by the District Court that Its use of separate school attend ance maps for assigning pupils to its schools - one for white pupils and another for Negro pupils will not be tolerated, the Board has drawn a new map that is gerrymandered so to cpn^ne eleipeoliary pypils on a single map. Careful study of this map has shown that its boundaries for ele mentary school zones were in geniously drawn along streets* along backyard fences, along creeks and along other cleves routes so as to .separate Negro residential neighborhoods from itdlolning white neighborhoods. That this map is gerrymander ed along racial lines rathe* than according to capacities of the respective school buildings will be clearly evident next September when it will be fonnd that some elementary school buildings will be over- csowded while other elemen tary schools will have empty now the Board has assigned classrooms. The fact that even rising seventh graders from four Negro elementary schools to remain in those schools next year for the first year of their junior hHih school work is evidence that the school zone liaes, having been gerrymander ed 'to effect racial segregation, will have created empty room apace in those four buildings, while at the same time other buildings will be overcrowd ed, tf the Board were to honest ly draw a school zone map based on building capacities,, geographic locations of pupil populations, on a nonraeial basis it would rid the ele- meniiiry schools oi their over- erowded situations. Last Octo ber Durham^ eighteen ele mentary aehoota had room apaea for 8M more iMipils than h«M «ara eanilai te than. But the Board’s preoccupation with race created building capacity in the ten white ele mentary schools for 754 pupils more than the number enroll ed in those schools, while the eight Negro elementary schools had 220 enrolled pupils beyond their capacity. One Negro school had 122 pupils beyond its capacity while four white schools had capacities for 158, 153, 122, and 102 pupils be yond their respective enroll ments. Item 2. After representing to the Federal Court and to Durham that tt would a .^(li&4le oitp for thf; elte^tafy. schools for next /school yiear, the Board threw the map out of the window for all but the first grade of the elementary schools by resolving that if the new map will place any pupil above the first grade in “a j£hoDl attended predominantly by pupils of another race” the said pupil shall be assigned to the school he a!biended last year. This provision assign* thousands of pupils for next year on the basis of the out lawed dual maps that govern ed last year’s assignments. To plain, honest people this means that the School Board has repudiated its pledge to the Court that the future use of dual attendance area maps was discontinued effective as ,,of July 27, 19©1. Item 3. In spite of this pledge the Board has also refused to draw single maps or attendance areas for junior and senior high schools respectively, and it has assigned high school pupils separately by race by the same system that has been used in the past and that the Court declared to be intoler able. Item 4. In spite of its re presentation made last August to the Court that in the future it would use certain criteria and, standards - speci ficially excluding race - for pupil assignment, the Board continues to use race ag the do minating criterion in its as signment of pupils. This repu diation of Its own standurds and of its pledge to use them is evident in the itents ment ioned above - drawing the raciall.v gerrymandered map, discarding that m»p for all but the first grade pupils, refus ing to draw high school at tendance areas, and also in another Item which Is the con tinuation of its “feeder system” which assigns the graduates of each Nef^ elementary school to a Negro junior hi*h school and assigns the graduates of ♦hat lunlor high sehool te the Negra senior Mgh sehool; similarly this system asslans pupils frem all white rte- menlarv sehaels te white juni or high sehoels and then to the white senior hkth sehoel. This "Isciar ssFstem” is thcfe- fore designed to keep e^ry poiril in fha Zhirhaai aehaols in a iiaHgatai adiool dudac Mi twelve years of attendance; the only exceptions are the few Ne groes who fight their way through the jungle of ad ministrative remedies prescrib ed by the North Carolina pupil assignment act and who run the gauntlet of the pupil as signment criteria and standards which have been used by the Durham school authorities only when Negro pupils have sought transfers to white schools. This same jungle and gauntlet have not been used in the cases of hundreds and hundreds of pupils who have been assigned to schools and have been ^anfderi^, from ,one s#iool to another where those pupils were applying for adrtiission to schools of their own race. Item 5. The latest move of the Board, announced in daily newspapers of June 2nd, makes, according to the headline, “Assignment Shifts To Af fect 9 Units”. The fact is that all but one of Durham’s Negro schools there will be housed and taught classes of pupils not according to the “6-3-3” elementary junior senior high school plan of organization of the City Schools. Unless furth er changes are announced, all of Durham’s white schools will be uniformly on the official 6-3-3 plan. While continuing a rigid se gregated system of jchools, the school authorities have not pre pared buildings and facilities sufficient to house Durham’s Negro junior high school po pulation in regular junior high school plants as has been done for the whife Junior high school population. Last October the three white junior high schools had a combined en rollment of 58 pupils above their total capacity, while the one Negro junior high school had an enrollment of 228 above its capacity. The 6-3-3 plan officially adopted by the Board as the best organization for good quality education of Durham’s youngsters is supposed to pro vide for the 7th. 8th, and 9th graders curriculum, faculties, buildings, equipment, guidance, libraries’ audio-visual mater ials, laboratories, student activity programs, and other educational facilities and ser vices especially appropriate for pupils in the junior high school age and grade bracket. Twelve years ago Judge Johnson J. Hayes found that the Durham school s.vstem was discriminating against its Ne gro pupils by not providing the same junior high school level facilities, services, and op-' portunitle* for them that were provided for white pupils in the same grade, .Tudee Hayes ordered that the school author ities remove that discrimina tion. Hie school RTstem’s action in “farming out” hui^dreds of Durham’s Necro junior high school pupils to elementary or senior high sehool buHdtags tor ■aat yme aianttef dl white junior high schoolers in regular junior high schools is clear evidence that the sams racial discrimination has not been eradicated. Laymen as well as educators know that junior high school education is not available in isolated “farmed out” situa tions in elementary or senior high school buildings in equal ity to that available in the mainstream programs of gular junior high schools. Nex year all of the rising sevenlf graders from, Durham’s white elementary schools enter regular junior high fe6hools. Byalcontrast, the ents group of rising sevehth grade" from only one of Durham’s eight Negro elementary schools will enjoy the same opportu nity to study in a regular Juni or high school. Item 6. Referring again to the “feeder system” described above in item 4 it is a further fact of racial discrimination on the part of the school author ities that that system violates^ the School Board’s own pupil assignmlent standard which re quires tbet pupils be assigned to schools nearest their homes. The residences of Negro high school pupils from the Crest Street, Walltown, Lyon Park, and East End areas are closer to white junior and senior high schools than they are,to the Negro high schools. This is a plain instance in which the Board has followed its usual practice of repudiating its own standards and making race the dominating criterion in its assignment of pupils, for its “feeder system” assigns Ne gro high schoolers frgm those areas to the more disfant Ne gro high schools rather than the nearby white bleb schools. That racs is the dominating criterion ^ the assignment of these is evfdmt from the' faef -that' if they were white they would have been assigned by the “feeder system” to the nearest high schools. The Durham School Board’s use of some d^scrimina- torv «chefne4 d^eribyd jin this article are of long standitig, and they have been challenged in litigation in the federal courts. Within the near future the va lidity of tho.se schemes will b# further tested in a court of apneals. The emphasis in this article is on the fact that for next year the old schemes will be continued unless th^ are invalidated in the courts, and n*»w sch^ms will be put into effect. The Board seems -to have taken as its motto! “Keen the schools segregated hv fair nieans, if possible; bf foul means, if necessary”. All in all. the scheming and tricto* pry and t)ie dishonet acts of tht Board of Education add up to a i»*pv dist'ntceful' program of chicanery. This is a chapter in ♦he historoy of Durham's puMk educatifln of which no u^- ri^t Durham citizen vidll bit IWOBi.
The Carolina Times (Durham, N.C.)
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June 9, 1962, edition 1
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