Evening star., 1949-10-28
Another Letter on Need
For Adequate Schools for Negroes
To the Editor of The Star:

FOR A0eQuatc SCHOOLS Tor NEGROES
To the Editor Of The Star:
Just prior to the fall school term the Dis
trict School Board was in a dilemma over the
Negro school situation, so it held public
meeting on September 6, to hear the pros
and cons on what to do about the Cardozo
High School.
The board heard some IL or Is persons,
representatives of various groups and Or
ganizations, Negro and white. Two Of the
persons heard were Mr.. Newell and Mr.. Con-
naughton. They utilized the entire time al
lotted them in stating why Negro children
should not use Central High School tempo
rarily or permanently. Then they asked that
the board take no action until their citizens
organization resumed its first fall meeting
(after a summer vacation), voted on the
issue and returned with its findings The
board president said I'VE WON'T" and they
didn't take action.
Well, the citizens organization met In the
District Building on October l., and they
voted in tune with the plea made by their
president at the board hearing. which was
against giving the Negroes Central High
School but in favor of giving them Wilson
Teachers College. The school board doesn't
want us to have Central High School either,
nor any other white high school. Therefore,
the school board still is in dilemma.
If there are any democratic Americans in
this town, certainly some Of them must know
these people, among others, don't want the
Negroes to have anything Of comparable
worth or decency. The crux of the issue sim
ply is this: We Negroes can have anything
the whites no longer want or that they can
manage to do without We asked for Central
High School but they think it is too good for
us Central Is surrounded by Negroes IS per
cent? but we can have Wilson Teachers
College. But Wilson is in no way any i'm
provement over Cardozo, so why bother to
change? However, old as Central is (40 years
ODD, it offers several improvements over
Cardozo: Cd Adequate space, and co
stadium COT which none of the three Negro
high schools and one vocational school has
in spite OF the sorry presence Of the so-called
Brooks Stadium).
Cardozo is an old-discarded white hand
me-down school like Shaw, Blow, Thomas,
Merritt Jr. High Schools and so on down
the line. Although Central is the oldest white
high school, just visit it and view the exterior
offerings and beauty. Then take look at
Armstrong, Cardozo and Phelps Vocational,
and then be the judge. Junior. high and
elementary schools are just as bad.
There are thousands Of little Negro tots
OF kindergarten age who are out of school
until next September due to the lack of
classrooms. So says the school board. Class
rooms in use are so crowded that every exist
ing rule and regulation is being broken or
ignored.
Schools are provided by the Government
with taxpayers money. There are no black
and white taxes, therefore there shouldn't
be colored schools and white schools, but
just public schools. Whites have no right
to have the best schools just because they're
white, nor are millionaires' sons entitled to
better schools just because their parents pay
more taxes than the poorer families.
Our school board for the most part Is en-
listed with group Of people steadfast in
prejudice on the one hand and some weak
minded Uncle Toms on the other. There
should be some house cleaning and replace
ments with young democratic minded in
dividualS who always will remember that the
schools are public schools. maintained to
teach and train all children.
A CONCERNED AMERICAN.
Objects to Campbell Amendments
To Virginia Poll Tax Change
To the Editor OF The Star:
In a recent editorial on the subject Of
Virginia's poll tax, you outlined the pro-
posed changes in the Virginia law which
are to be voted upon on November 8. You
said: 1T is hard to find serious fault with
these proposals" disagree with you most
Fundamentally. It is easy to find fault with
these proposals.
Speaking Of the proposed new law you
stated: "The poll tax would be repealed.
In It's place there would be. first literacy
tact requirement vo,1 foil to mention tho