Evening star., 1947-12-12
Plea by Mrs. Doyle
Fails 10 End Parents
Boycott Of ; Schools
By Colt HendIey, jr.

0VySS " SSssSSS
By Colt HendIey, jr.
The parents who are boycottine
three colored schools today stood
firm in their resolve not to let thei,
children 60 to classes, despite plea
last night by Mrs. Henry Grattan
Doyle, president of the Board OF
Education, for them to put the
children back"
Mrs. Doyle appeared before mass
meeting of nearly 500 of the parents
in the Jones Memorial Church,
Forty-fourth street and Benning
road NE.
The boycott has been underway
since December 3, after the Blow
and Webb Schools were turned over
to colored pupils as annexes to the
overcrowded Browne Junior High
School. The parents feel the two
elementary buildings are inadequate,
that the transfers solve nothing and
the result is worse than part-time
schooling.
Plans Further Fight.
The group listened to Mrs. Doyle.
They commended her for appearing
and presenting her views. But.in a
short business meeting after her
speech, they planned further moves
in the fight which they have started
"a fight which basically is agaiast
the segregated school system here
and against what they consider in
adequate school facilities offered
colored children. .
The picketing Of the schools will
continue, they decided, but left the
question Of sending the children
back to school to the Individual
parent. The Browne Parent Teacher
Association will meet at the school
at 8 o'clock tonight.
Officials at Browne School today
reported an attendance of 428 pupils
in the three schools out of a total
enrolment Of 1926 for morning
classes.
Meanwhile, Chairman Dirksen of
the House District Committee will
meet with the parents at 10 am.
tomorrow at the Capitol to go into
the whole matter.
Representative Dirksen was drawn
into the souabble earlier in the week,
after he had been visited by Edgar
Brown, head of the National Negro
Council, and a number of parents.
Mr.. Dirksen asked the Board of
Education, the District Commission
ers and School Supt. Hobart M.
Corning to send him a full report
on the situation in the school sys-
tenn, which led to the boycott of
the three schools.
Receives Report.
The report from the board reached
him late yesterday. He said he had
not studied it yet and had no COM
ment at the moment.
Another development in the sit
uation was the filing of motion
in District Court late yesterday by
Assistant Corporation Counsel Mil
ton Norman, asking dismissal of a
suit seeking an injunction against
the transfer Of the schools from
white to colored pupils. This suit
was filed in November by parents
of three Browne Junior High STU
dents in behalf of their children
A motion against such an injunc-
ton also was filed, supported by an
affidavit signed by DR.. Garnet c.
Wilkinson, assistant superintendent
of colored schools,
DR.. Wilkinson's statement empha-
sized that the transfers are tenn
porary only.
Mrs. Nellie v. Greene, a mother Of
q Browne student, presided at last
nights mass meeting.
Mrs. Doyle opened her talk by
explaining she wanted to address
the group, not only as president OF
the School Board, but as a mother
She described conditions in the Sec
ton Of town where she lived after
World War I, saying they were simi-
lar to the Browne situation, only
that they existed in the white
schools. She said her three chill
dren went to school part time anc
in portable schools rather than In
regular buildings.
II know just how you feel about
It," she said. Il went through fl
also"
Mrs. Doyle told the group the
board members made an unpleasant
decision and an unpopular one, but
one which they felt was right 70,
the children. \
THE board doesn't like it." she
said. II don't like 1t. It Is q poor
solution, but We haven't found an
other one.
II think for parents, who are
charged as you are with RESPONSE
bility to your children, charged by
the Lord and your conscience, to
keep your children out of school
is the worst possible kind of guild
ance," she declared.
Suggests Returning Pupils.
She told the group they have not
worked in this cause constructive
ly" and have not been q helpful
force In the difficulties. She sug-
gested they send the children back
to the schools. try 1t out for awhile.
Further. she suggested they form a
committee TO work closely with the
J