Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-10-19
Schools

Inc issue OF segregation IN wash
ington public schools is wholly diff
ferent problem from the one with
which the District has been strug-
CLING in the other fields discussed
above. There has been no casual
progress toward indignation of the
city's public school system. There
could not have been. For this is the
one form of segregation in WASH
ington which is prescribed by law.
Congress established the public
school system here as a dual system
in 1862. and Congress has never
since changed its mind.
Private schools in the District have
been easing away from segregation.
while the public schools stand still.
The trend is particularly marked at
the levels of higher education. At
the more primary levels. however.
Catholic parochial schools are leading
the way toward indignation. They
have been unsegregated for several
years.
Catholic and Georgetown UNIVERSE
ties have colored students in many
of their schools. There is no ban on
colored students at American Uni
versity. Nor is there any ban on
white students at Howard University.
which was started as school for all
races. Several whites are enrolled at
Howard, and they do not find them
selves segregated in the classes there.
Each year, the Commissioners are
confronted by lengthy arguments as
to the benefits which would accrue
if the public schools were integrated.
took time out to discuss again
the possibility of moving away from
segregation at least in some portion
of their teacher training program.
But neither the Commissioners nor
the board ever do anything about
the problem, for the simple reason
that there is nothing they can do.
Because the Districts dual school
system is established by law. racial
indignation in this field cannot be
approached by gradual. evolutionary
process. The decision must be clean
cut-for or against segregation. The
decision, at the moment. is for segre-
cation. And there are only two
agencies which can take the step
Congress and the Supreme Court.
For 60 years, now, the court has
stood by the doctrine that laws pro-
viding for dual school systems are
constitutional if the educational ia
cilities. provided under those laws are
equal as we'll as separate. 1t is pre-
pairing now, in four important cases,
including one from the District, to
review that doctrine-to study the
question of how we'll it has stood the
test of time.
The District case has to do with
four Negro children refused admis-
sion to the white Sousa Junior High
School. 1t is now, technically, in
the hands Of the United States Court
of Appeals. but the Supreme Court
has indicated it's willingness to hear
the District case when it takes up
the other three. Arguments on these
cases are expected to begin before
the high bench December 8. A de-
clSion is unlikely before next spring.
All four cases are aimed at the
principle of school segregation itself,
including the separate but equal'
doctrine. 1t is always conceivable
that the court will duck this basic
issue, ruling that the education pro-
vided Negroes here and in the other
jurisdictions in question is not in
fact equal to the education which
white children receive. If this should
happen, it will be up to the District
to correct whatever inequalities
handicap Washingtons colored chill
dren within the dual school system.
1t is possible, too, that court will
hold that Congress has a right to
provide for separate schooling for
Negroes in the District, and that the
District is doing right by the Negroes
under the law. If this happens.
Washington's segregated schools can
be expected to go along pretty much
as they are going now.
But it also is quite possible that
the Supreme Court. next spring, will
abolish school segregation in WASH
1ngton once and for all. And If that
happens, the people of WASHINGTON
can be expected to ADJUST to the new
sltuation-just as they have adjusted
to racial indignation in the other
GAvA 81 IL