Evening star., 1948-12-15
Regional School Plan
In South Attacked by
Negro Organization
by the Associated Press

NEW YORK, Dec. 15.-The Ma
honal Association for the Advance
ment Of Colored People yesterday
condemned the program of regional
education worked out for IA South
ern States by the Southern Gov
ernors' Conference.
Meanwhile, a number Of South
ern Negro leaders declared that
while the plan is not what Negroes
want or deserve, it nevertheless is
an improvement over existing condi-
tions.
A statement OF the NAACp de-
clared the program to be "a device
to circumvent the clear intent of
the Supreme Court decisions" in
cases involving the rights of Negroes
to attend Southern schools.
The program, adopted yesterday
ut Savannah, Ga, places emphasis
on professional and graduate train
ing for Negroes, but under the ira
ditional racial segregation pattern.
States will contribute funds on the
basis of ability to pay.
The NAACP statement said the
plan docs not meet the require
ments of the Supreme Court deci-
sions that each State afford equal
educational opportunities for its own
qualified residents regardless of race
or color"
The program involves false econ
omy contrived to make the public
believe that equality is attainable
within the framework of segrega-
tlon," the statement declared, add
ing:
Inequalities of educational op-
portunity are inevitable in a segre-
gated system"
The Southern Negroes agreed that
ultimately they hope to abolish seq
regation entirely, but, many added,
I'VE must be realistic"
Here Is the reaction of several
leading Southern Negroes:
DR.. Mozell Hill, head of the So
GEOLOGY department of Atlanta Uni
versity-"spiritually, it is not above
board, but practically, economically
and sociologically it is an improve
ment."
DR.. Benjamin Mays, president of
Morehouse College in Atlanta-"We
ought to be honest and say it's be-
ing done to perpetuate segregation
and not say we are doing it be-
cause of economics"
Arthur D. Shores, Birmingham
attorney-"It's a step forward in
that it would provide educational
facilities not now available. But it
probably will be tested when a Negro
wants to study for profession
within his own State"
DR.. H. F. Price, president of Le-
moyne College in Memphis-"I agree
that Southern States do not have
resources to provide adequate ia
cilitieS for all its citizens and that
regional education is O good thing.
But if segregated regional education
is a vehicle by means of which the
pattern of segregation will be pro-
longed, then I would raise some
doubt as to its validity"
Warren Cochran. secretary Of an
Atlanta Negro YMCA-"Ideally I
object to the plan. Practically, 1t
might be a solution; we have to
make progress slowly. Our people
desperately need so much that any
step forward is good. Eventually,
of course, if we are to conform with
our democratic ideals, we must do
away with segregation"
DR.. Charles S. Johnson, president
of Fisk University in Nashville
From the information available to
me the action limits rather
than expands educational opportu-
mites in the South. The $500 900
biennial budget jointly proposed by
IA Southern States for a Negro re-
gional medical college would scarcely
cover the annual deficit of the ex-
isting institution (Meharry) and
could not possibly expand or improve
its facilities. I" It does nothing
that can see for education"