St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1952-10-24


not only in the several amiCus
curiae briefs but also by the vint-
ually unprecedented action Of the
court in setting the case for argu-
1 mcnt, on its own initiative, before
the full bench of nine judges. The
decision has not yet been handed
down.
The CoordInating Committee for
the Enforcement of the District of
Columbia Anti Discrimination
Laws, which sponsored the tests
at the Thompson restaurant, has
not relied solely on the creeping
process of litigation. II has made
and published surveys of dis
elimination in local eating places
and by the skilful use Of publicity,
persuasion, piCkcting. and boycott
has induced many of them, parti-
cularly those frequcnted by low
and middle-inCome persons, to
abandon their discriminatory praC-
tees, A few weeks ago the last
large dime store in the downtown
area finally abandoned segrega-
ton at its lunch counter.
This combination of legal and
community action has heightened
| public awareness of the old civil
rights acts and has strengthened
the determination of the Colored
people to insist on their rights
under the law. If the acts are
eventually upheld. it seems safe
to say that despite probable ef-
forts at evasion in some establish.
ments and the resulting problems
of proof and conviction, racial ex-
customary practices in the Dis
tricts public eating places will
largely disappear.
The stronghold of Washington 5
segregation Is the public-sChooI
system. Although the Congress,
sional statutes under which I,
operates clearly contemplate a
dual set OF schools, some for white
children and some for Colorcd chill.
dron. it is by no means certain
that the Board of Education could
not integrate some schools. or
combine the white teachers col.
lrEe and the eplorcd teachers col,
leEc las the president of the white
teachers college has already
urged. or that the board is re.
quirrd to forbid interraCial ath,
letiCs or intCrraCial cXtra-curri
Cular activities such as chess, mu,
sic. debating, or other inter-cult,
ural contacts. Nevertheless, tn,
Board of Education has mad,
segregation so rigid that a whit,
child can go through seventeen
years Of public education withou
ever seeing a colord child in class
rooms or in inter-mural or extra
CurriCular activities.
Moreover the separate school
are not equal No matter how
desperately the Board of Educa
ton shifts the racial use Of schoo
buildings 10 try to keep abreast O
population changes, IL can onl,
mildly alleviate the almost scan
dalouS inequalities inevitable un
der dual system, And becaus
these shifts create almost as man,
inequities, for both white an,
colored children, as they attemp
to correct, every proposed chang
is debated in an atmosphere O
controversy, resistance, and emo
ttonal tension.
Since degeneration Of school
by Congressional action appear
remote while the rlibuster Il
available in the Senate, those look
ing beyond such temporary pal
liatives as shifting racial Use o
buildings, additional funds 70
more Colored teachers, and tn
like are placing their hope o,
court action. Two cases are nov
pending before the United state
Court OF Appeals to require al
mission Of colored pupils to
white junior high school
Court action less ultimate Il
its goal is nibbling at some of tn
obvious racial discrimination Il
public education. On July 3, 1875:
a District Court Judge held ur
constitutional the washingto
practice. followed since at Ieas
1905, Of exporting cnlored dea
children to schools in Marylan
and Pennsylvania while educatin
white deaf children in the DistriC
at the Columbia Institution 10
the Deaf, an outstanding schoo
Acceding to this decree, the Dis
trict government has contracte
with the Columbia Institution {
; educate colored deaf children, bu
has inserted a provision requirin
: the Institution, which does nc
segregate non-District students. I