Evening star., 1952-04-24
4
Suggested for
Inter-RaciaI Use
Recreation Board
Receives Proposals
Of Transition Group
By Colt HendIey, Jr.

A special committee of the Dis
trict Recreation Board today rec
commended that four more city
Fairgrounds be used on an inter-
racial basis.
The recommendation came dur
ing a meeting of the boards
Transition Committee.
The. Fairgrounds are: Kenil-
worth Playground at Kenilworth
avenue and Ord street NE,
Sherwood Playground at Ninth
and G streets NE, Trinidad Play
ground at West Virginia avenue
and Mount Olivet road NE. and
Park View Playground at Prince
ton and Warder streets NV.
Park View Playground now is
operated as a colored unit. The
other three are white Fairgrounds.
The Transition Committee also
recommended that four other
Fairgrounds all white units, be
retained in their present status.
These Fairgrounds had been un-
der study also for possible changes
to an inter-racial basis. They are:
EdgeWood, Turkey Thicket,
Rosedale, and Wheatley Play
grounds.
Public Hearing Called.
A public hearing was called for
10 am. May Z in the Board Room
at the District Building. Citizens
groups desiring to appear before
the Recreation Board were asked
to present written copy of any
information they wish to submit
in advance of the meeting.
The Recreation Board will pass
final judgment on the recon-
mendations at 2::30 pm. May 13
at the Recreation Department.
The Recreation Board already
Is operating eight units on an in
ter-racial basis. In addition its
summer day camp program, it's
athletic leagues and some other
activities are open to all races.
In Line with Policy.
Today's recommendations were
In line with board policy to elimi-
nate segregation on the city's
Fairgrounds as soon as practica-
bic. Several years ago the board
amended its bylaws which had
prohibited inter-racial recreation
activities. The units now open to
all are the Montrose Playground.
the Cardozo Recreation Center,
the Anacostia Playground, Gar
field Playground, Langley Play
ground, Hoover Playground, New
York Avenue Playground and Rose
Park Playground.
The Trinidad Playground is
located on the same large plot of
land with the Wheatley Play
ground. Since the Wheatley
School Is a white school, the
Transition Committee recon-
mended that its playground re-
main a white unit despite it's
proximity to the Trinidad area.
COlOred Population Gains.
The committee reported that
It's studies showed that the neigh
borhood of the Trinidad -Wheatley
units was now about So per cent
white and 48 per cent colored.
The colored population is increas-
ing there, although the white
population is more stable than it
has been for the last five years,
the committee declared.
In the area of the Kenilworth
Playground, the committee re-
ported, colored children in in
creasing numbers have been using
the playground and several Incl
dents have occurred" The COM
mittee said that when supervisors
were not on this playground con-
Quoting a program for white chill
dren only, both colored and whitO
used the facilities together.
The committee reported there
were about SIS per cent white and
As per cent colored residents in
the immediate Kenilworth area.
Nearby School Transferred.
Concerning the Sherwood Play
ground, the committee pointed
out that the Madison Elementary
School across the street recently
was transferred to colored stu
dents. The committee declared:
"The use by the Madison pupils
has given rise to problems in en-
forcing segregation as it is difficult
for children to understand why
it is used by Negroes before 8
pm. and denied them after 8
pm. When unsupervised, it is re-
ported that the unit is used by
both colored and white some
playing together and others in
their own groups"
The committee said the Park
View Playground was in an area
where the population was mostly
colored. Children of the white
families in the area apparently
used the playground and there
is a growing community sentiment
that Park View should serve the
recreational needs of all the peo-
ple," the committee said.
OAR Gets Painters S Copy
OF independence Document