Evening star., 1948-11-10
Recreation Unit
.ToReviiewM Mixed
Ban
Board Should Permit
Assemblies in CoIored
Schools, Wender Says
By Colt HendIey. Jr.

AIlc OlSLllCG DOdlu Oh HeCTeaC1On
has decided to review it's rigid pol
icy forbidding meetings in which
colored and white persons par
ticipate.
Apparently, We have made mis-
take in not permitting the use of
colored schools for mixed meetings"
Harry S. Wender, board chairman,
declared yesterday at the boards
regular meeting.
Mr.. Wender said he believes mixed
meetings should be allowed in the
colored school auditoriums. But. he
indicated. the population is not
ready for such mixed assemblies in
the white school auditoriums as yet.
Two Requests Involved.
The matter came UP when Milo
F. Christensen, recreation superin-
tendent, reported that two requests
for use of the Garnet-P
Junior High School (colored) for
mixed meetings had been denied.
The requests came from the Dis
trict Chapter of the National Asso-
citation for the Advancement Of Col
ored People and Local No. q and
Local of the American Federation
of Teachers.
Mr.. Wender said he believes the
board policy absolutely forbidding a
mixed meeting is not correct and
that, in these two cases, the permis-
sion should have been granted. He
named committee to review the
boards policy, appointing James E.
Schwab as. chairman. -.
Mr.. Wender explained the situa-
tion in this way:
The rules of the Recreation Board
say organized programs of the Rec
reation Department must be carried
out on segregated basis. This
evolves from the creation of the
Recreation Board in 1912, which at
that time took over a "comprehen-
sive plan" for the city's recreational
facilities from the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission. This
plan set up recreational units on a
segregated basis.
Non-Segregation Park Policy.
The Recreation Board also acts as
a permit bureau for the National
Capital Parks and issues permits for
picnics and other activities on park
land on non-segregated basis. Nom
segregation is a basic policy of the
Federal park system.
The Recreation Board each year,
in addition. gets permission from
the Board of Education to use Ger
tain school properties lsome so
schools and playgrounds) in its pro-
gram. Under that arrangement. the
Recreation Department also acts as
permit bureau and grants per-
mission to groups to hold meetings
In the school auditoriums. It also
conducts organized programs at the
school property.
Permits to use the school audi
toriums have been granted on q
strictly segregated basis, even to
the point that a white speaker may
not address a colored -alldiepces .,
This was based on the belief that
It was the intent of the School
board. which operates q segregated
school, system, Ito have a similar
policy, carried cut in, its auditoriums.
Avoids Dictation on Policy.
Two weeks ago the Board of Edu-
cation voted it had no power to
dictate policy to the Recreation
Board on how it was to use the
school property, once it was turned
over to the Recreation Department.
The School Board itself has, on a
number of occasions, allowed mixed
meetings in the colored school audi
toriums.
In other actions, the Recreation
Board:
Decided to send personal letters"
to contractors in the city and re-
mind them of their civic duty in
an effort to get bids low enough so
that construction of shelters on four
Fairgrounds can get underway. The
last time the contracts were adver-
tised all bids were too high. The
Fairgrounds in question are Watts
Branch, Ridge, Fort Greble and
Kalorama.
Requested the District Commits
sioners to take steps to procure ad-
ditional land for playground pur-
poses in the vicinity of the Stanton.
Walker-Jones and Terrell school
sites.
Decided to confer with Corpora
ton Counsel Vernon E. West today
on his pending decision concerning
the control of 81 recreational areas.
The Recreation Board contends
control of the land rests with the
District, while the Interior Depart
ment says it has control of the land.
Mr.. West has said he will support