Evening star., 1947-11-02
State Wide Campaign
Against Segregation
In Virginia. Planned
BY the Asseeiafed Press

ROANOKE, Va, Nov. 1.-Plans
for law suits against school au-
thorities in every county in Vir-
ginia, setting the stage for a full
scale legal attack on the States
segregation laws. by the National
Association for the Advancement
OF Colored People was disclosed
IN Roanoke by two of it's officials
today.
They said suits will be filed against
the University of Virginia and every
county in the State to eliminate
what they described as inequalities
IN education" including salaries of
Negro teachers school buildings and
curriculums.
The county by county campaign
was announced by DR.. J. M. Tinsley
OF Richmond, president OF the
NAACP in Virginia, and Thurgood
Marshall OF New York, special coun-
sel OF the Negro organization.
State NAACP Convenes.
They said the suits will be han
fled by Attorney Spottswood w.
Robinson, III, of Richmond, who Is
ON leave from Howard University
where he was professor Of law. He
Will have the full cooperation" of
the State NAACP legal committee
and the national organization legal
staff, they said.
The campaign was revealed at a
press conference preceding opening
of the State NAACP two-day con-
vention In Roanoke Sessions are
being held at Ebenezer A. M. E.
Church.
Several NAACP suits have been
died. one in King George County,
and others are being prepared, Mr..
Marshall said. They will be filed
against several counties at a time
until the others give in," he said. |
These SUITS Mr.. Marshall ex-
planned, will make the ground |
work for full-scale legal attack on
the segregation laws of the State
OF Virginia, which have failed to
provide even a semblance OF
equality"
Similar to Texas Case.
He said the case planned against
the University of Virginia will be
closely similar" to the case now
pending against the University of
Texas.
There can be no equality where
there is segregation" Mr.. Marshall
contended. He said Virginia has
had since 1865 to establish equality
In public schools, something they
have refused to do" /
"1he plan" he said, 'is to clean
up the education system county by
county since it is obvious that the
counties in the State do not intend
to comply with the clear mandate
of prior United States Supreme
Court decisions"
Mr.. Marshall indicated the
NAACP has selected Virginia for
concentration of its efforts since it
feels if the campaign in Virginia
is successful it might result in elm
ination of segregation laws in other
Southern States.
The NAACP attorney said the or
ganization is having to launch its
legN-a t1paign because, even with
favorable supreme Court decisions,
no agency of Government will get
us our rights" 81
In a prepared statement released
at the press conference the NAACP
charged that the inequality" in
educational facilities for Negroes in
Virginia was reflected in the rejec-
ton rate among Negroes during the
wartime draft; likewise in the in
adequacy of professional Negroes in
The statement said the 1910 cen
sus shows there was one white doc
tor in Virginia for every 818 per-
sons while there was only one Negro
doctor for every 1895 Negroes. 1t
also said there was one white law
yer for every 636 white persons
while there was only one Negro at
torney for every 1870 Negroes.
A forum tonight opened the two
day meetings, which will be address,
ed tomorrow at 3 pm. by Walter
White of New York, executive Sec
retary of the NAACP.