Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1953-10-31
A Message To The 1853 Extra
Ordinary Session OF The
Mississippi State
Legislature

The State Legislature is meeting in extraordinary
session here next week at the call of Governor White
made by legislature study committee for the equaiza-
ton of the public schools of the state for white and
Negro students.
The main stimulus behind the creation of the Legs-
ature Study Committee its proposals. and the call of
the legislature to need in ordinary session is the
prospective action of the United States Supreme Court
in the pending before it asking for the aboli
ton OF racial segregation III the nations public school
system.
The United States Supreme Court is the highest
judicial body of the nation In practice and procedure the
court has developed its set of rules, among them
being the power to decide whether not it will hear
review given case.
In reaching an opinion to what will be the
United States Supreme Courts decision in the school
segregation the first thing to consider is the
power which the, court has to hear and review
fuse to hear and review given case
Since the court then could have gotten rid of the
school segregation by simply declining to review
the case; since segregation outgrowth of the
aftermath of the to abolish Negro slavery; since
segregation was accomplished and brought about, out
side Of and without consideration of the United States
and its amendments political continuance, and
applied and enforced by violence and brutality; being
eXra-egal rather than legal from it's very beginning,
1t is most difficult for sufficiently well acquainted
with the history of Mississippi of the South and of the
nation to reason other than that the United States
Supreme Court having allowed the to before
it, will now use its power and abolish segregation by law
IN the public school system of the nation.
1t is well IN this matter to look away from the
history of Mississippi of the South and of the nation
and look at world conditions and then consider their
pact upon the minds of the learned judges of the United
States Supreme Court in reaching final decision in the
school segregation cases.
The Cry for Liberty, Fraternity, and Equality has
been spreading with sometime silent but ending
force all the Of the world since be-
came the rayng cry of the French Revolutionists
they lead the despoer of their freedom to the Guotine
That cry is being heard now with undimnishing
reverbration from black men, brown men, and yellow
from the ends of the earth 1t is the challenge to
American Leadership of the world; leadership being
handicapped by racial segregation in the United
States than by any other of its POLITICAL social and
nOmic manifestations.
Some great Americans have heard and given heed
to the of the worlds dark First the late
Wendell WiLkie, in his call for Zone World" Recently
the world scholar and educator Strngfelow Barr, in
his call, Lets Join the Human Race" And recent
ly Adlal Stevenson returning from six month world
tour warning that the United States must win the
fidence and friendship of the uncommtted billion of
the world colored people who form vast majority of
the population of the world
For the United States Supreme Court to uphold
segregation at such time; it to world seal
off from the United States for all time the confidence
and friendship of the coored peoples of the world.
Having made these references to history it is our
opinion that the United States Supreme Court will and
should abolish segregation in the public school system
of the nation
Many members of the Legislature are disturbed
the question whether not to await the action of
the U. S. Supreme Court before going ahead with the
school equalization the evident fear that the
court will abolish segregation and thus destroy the
equalization program, the destruction of the program
coming not as much from the action of the court
from the reaction of Negroes in the state to such
cison by the U. S. Supreme Court
1t is we'll to hear examine into the prospective re-
action of Mississippi Negroes following the abolition of
segregation in the public schools Force and compliment
the dstasteful and resented elements of racial
segregation Thus voluntary separation, without force
and complement is not segregation.
The Mississippi Negroes have bought and own prop
erty and have established well defined communities
throughout the state in each of which these suf
cent number of children to warrant the existence of
school in the community. Following the long establish
ed practices of American public school construction of
locating schools easily accessible to children of each
community these Negro communities of the state are
entitled to and should have public school,
Such public school, located in a Negro community
with only Negro children and Negro teachers equal in
every respect to any other school, with segregation by
force and compliment abolished, either later
will not be segregated schoo but will be American