Evening star., 1947-10-20
School SegregationH Hi
AS District NAACP
Resumes Meetinqs

the principal target today as the
District branch of the National
Association for the Advancement
of Colored People began its 1947-48
series of activities.
Denying that District law re-
quires or authorizes the Board of
Education to operate separate
schools for white and colored pupils,
Leon A. Ransom, chairman of the
associations Legal Committee, de-
clared at the first fall meeting
last night:
Anybody who tells you there can
be segregation and equality is
handing you myth and delusion.
AS long as there is segregation there
is bound to be some discrimination,
even if it may be unintentional."
He said the inequality of oppor-
tunity in the Districts dual School
system was borne out in two editor
ial page articles published last week
in The Star.
AAU Move Is Cited.
DR.. Edwin B. Henderson, vice
president of the District branch
of the NAACP, and Mrs. C. Leslie
Glenn, vice chairman of the Com
mittee on Racial Democracy, were
other speakers at the meeting in the
John Wesley A.M.E. Zion Church,
18th and Corcoran streets, NV. The
Rev. Stephen G. Spottswood, presi-
dent of, the District branch, Joseph
H. B. Evans, secretary, and William
A. Hill, executive secretary, outlined
the associations program for the
coming year.
DR.. Henderson, head Of the Dis
trict school systems department of
health, physical education and safety
said in a radio broadcast earlier
yesterday that the segregated recre-
alton practice here is a mockery
of democracy in the Nations Capt.
tal."
The school official, who spoke
on Station WOOK's Americans All'
program. cited the Amateur Ath-
letic Unions recent move to remove
the color bar in some District sports
as step in the right direction.
Protest Newell Speech.
DR.. Henderson advocated policy
which would include colored off,
cials in the Police Boys Clubs and
allow participation of colored chill
dren in the activities of their own
precinct clubs.
Mrs. Glenn last night criticized
the Board of Education for what
she called a legally unjustifiable
segregation policy in operating pub
lie Fairgrounds and school buildings
for community meetings. She also
protested the. "ridiculously small"
amount of space provided for chill
dren's recreation. She and DR..
Henderson mentioned several play
grounds, notably one at New York
avenue and First street NV, which
rthey said are used by only few
white children while hundreds of
youngsters from nearby colored
schools are barred.
All speakers protested a speech
made last week by Clifford H.
Newell, president of the Federation
of Citizens Associations, defending
segregation. Mrs. Glenn advised
opponents of segregation mot to
call names" but nevertheless re-
member that it is not un-American
to protest against wrongs"
Court Test Pending.
DR.. Henderson urged private as
well as public recreation groups
to end segregation policies. ''It is
incumbent upon this Nation's s
Capital to exemplify democracy if
democracy is to exist anywhere else
in the world" he said.
Mr.. Ransom said the NAACP here
will center its activities on a pend
ing court test of the legality of
the dual system of education for
colored and white children.
"But to get to the root of the
matter" he declared, "the only way
to let the waters of enlightenment
in is to destroy the undemocratic,
illogical and illegal system OF segre-
cation in education. That is why
we give so much Importance to-
the recently filed suit to test the
legality of the dual system of edu-
cation in the District"