Evening star., 1949-11-12

those who have vested interests In present
status will object Elimination of semi
annual promotions. and in fact modifying
even annual promotions has met with some
resistance.
But many will not concur with the reasons
advanced for putting the 9th grade back
in the senior high school. Because there is
so much vacant space In senior white high
schools-and even in some junior high
schools-is not so sound reason for revert
ing to the 8-4 plan as some others. At
least this Is not the big reason why many
communities have given up the 6-3-3 plan.
The suggested change here in Washing
ton seems to be based on economic reasons
and a threatened huge crop of postwar
babies The dual system, when equalized
In Washington, is going to be very costly.
Already we have Is high schools and in less
than decade If the segregated system still
stands we will have to build at least three
more colored high schools at cost of more
than $10,000,000.
Unfortunately, because of the laws of
Virginia and all Southern States, which
deprive Negroes of the right to aspire to
f1rst-class citizenship and the right to pursue
happiness as free American citizens. colored
citizens are coming to our cities In hope
OF education. recreation and a fairly decent
chance for jobs and living. Year by year
here In washington, the colored school
population has steadily overtaken the white
enrolment until today more than half of
the elementary and junior high public school
population is colored. The great drop-off
In colored senior high schools is largely
due to economic reasons and the disillusion-
ment colored boys and girls suffer when
the cold hard facts Of community prejudices
against their getting jobs for which they
: are qualifying become reality.
.,sa Exodus From the District
On the other hand the tremendous ex-
pansion of modern apartments and h0enes
In nearby Virginia and Maryland attract
thousands Of our young white married peo-
pie with children. When the Willston apart
ments on the border Of Falls Church, are
completed thousand or more Washing
tonians will migrate. These building units
are springing up all about our D. c. margins.
Some planners have suggested moving
back our city limits as Los Angeles and
other cities have done. Why not admit
thatathe major objection to even retaining
by Congressional action the originally ceded
Virginia territory is the existence of the
large concentrated colored population al
ready here?
One solution to the, school problem, indi-
Gated by Mr.. Sharpe. would be the elimina-
tion Of segregation. # the Supreme Court
were to reverse an earlier opinion that the
separate but equal" theory on which justi-
fable segregation depends was compatible
with the equal rights Of citizens guaranteed
by the Constitution, it is my opinion that
the children and our society could adjust
to such an edict. Because colored resi-
Dental areas are concentrated in certain
sections Of the city. there would be but few
white pupils attending neighborhood schools
which are presently colored, and few coll
ored children in schools now for white chill
dren. also believe this present generatiorf
Of children would learn to get along as well
as do the pupils who are in the schools Of
New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Indiana.
Because Of the imminence or eventuality Of
such social advancement it seems to me
that educational statesmen would not wait
until some court hands down q decision
aboliShing segregation as was done in In
terstate bus travel, but would be planning
"inter-group" education here and now. De-
spite the present duality, . medium Of In
tercultural education Is afforded through
interchanges in the areas Of music drama
tics, debates. drill and athletics. The CONF
munity Is ready for this. While we are
inter-changing teachers and students with
foreign countries, and as our pupils are try
ing to understand the cultures Of the Euro
peans and the Asiatics. Why not try GREAT
ing little more Of tolerance ut our own
backdoor?
We repeat, as . free citizen. although
much frustrated, we like The boldness Of,
Mr.. Sharpe's suggestions. Yet we submit
the above ~ q rational educational ap-
proach to the problem Of empty schools.
e. B. HENDERSON.
Vice President. .. G. Branch. NAAcP.