Evening star., 1950-10-17
Anacostia Principal
Upheld in BANNING
Mixed Drama Cast

Inc Board OF EduCatlOn t0mOr-
row will consider special COM
mittee's finding that the spirit"
as we'll as letter of the District
segregated school law bans stimuli
taneous appearances of Negro and
white groups in public school
buildings during school hours.
In 2-1 vote the committee
decided late yesterday that Mrs.
Opal Corkery, principal of Ana
costa High School. acted legally
in refusing to allow II white and
2 Negro actors to present scenes
from Faith of Our Fathers" the
Sesquicentennial drama. on the
school stage September 10. The
principals action had the support
OF DR.. Hobart M. Corning, super
intendent of schools.
DR.. James A. Cannon reported
that he and Adelbert w. Lee,
chairman of the special commit
tee, voted for the two resolutions
to be submitted to the board at
$3.50 pm. tomorrow. Woolsey w.
Hall, recently appointed Negro
member of the board, opposed the
resolutions.
DR.. Cannon explained today
that he had no objection to Ne
groes and whites together in the
same cast. He declared, however.
that so far as the school system is
concerned I'VE must follow what
Congress said"
General Policy Recommended.
Mrs. Cookery, he added. should
be commended instead of criti-
cized for the manner in which she
handled the difficult problem" at
Anacostia High School.
The special committee that was
named to look into that matter
also was asked to suggest a gen.
eral policy for guidance of school
officials in similar situations.
The committee. being bound by
law, recommends to the board
that the board obey the law in its
specific instructions and in its
spirit, the policy resolution stated.
In presenting the policy resolu-
ton as we'll as the one unfolding
Anacostia High School officials,
DR.. Cannon told the committee:
Segregated schools are a fact. It
is the duty of the administration
to carry out not only the letter
but the spirit of the law as Con-
gress laid it out. Congress said
there will be no intermingling."
Corning Gives Statement.
Before acting on the resolutions
the committee heard DR.. Corning
give Statement of facts" DR..
Canon said.
In the light of that compre-
henSlve statement" he said, "the
committee decided it would not
be necessary to hold hearings"
DR.. Corning explained to the
committee that conditions in the
neighborhood" were the immediate
reason why the appearance of
the Sesquicentennial actors was
banned. He referred to "the
swimming pool situation during
the last summer and to the bus
difficulties year before" involv-
ing incidents between Negroes and
whites
Mrs. Corkery has been in,
formed by some of her students
since the morning of the sched-
uled performance that had the
program gone on there would have
been trouble from the audience"
DR.. Corning reported. THE num-
ber of calls received at Anacostia
and at school headquarters seemed
to indicate that an effort was
being made to create a consid-
cradle incident"
One of the calls, DR.. Corning
disclosed, came from Police Supt.
Robert j. Barrett, who asked
what the disturbance had BEEN"
The agreement with the Sesqui-
centennial Commission had been
for white actors to appear at Ana
costa, but some members of the
Sesquicentennial refused to pre-
sent an all-White cast in the
school program. he said,