Evening star., 1954-05-23
Inteqrotion Is Success stoyin cotboIic Schools

the proportion Of Negroes is
larger. Both st. Dominic and
Mackin Highs have around 10
per cent.
At Mackin, which graduated
two colored boys as. long as two
years ago and will graduate an
other this spring, a colored girl
this year was elected secretary
Of the senior class. (She later
moved to New York; One of
the two previous graduates is
now at Catholic University, and
the other hopes to go to MasSa-
chusetts Institute of Technology.
Sister Margaret Charles,
Mackin principal. stated that
she has been more than pleased
with the attitude of both stu
dents and parents. Colored and
white students do not mingle at
school dances. however. situa-
ton about which school author
tiles have Intentionally said
nothing to pupils. They frankly
see no immediate solution.
st. Dominic's, which is gradu-
ating both a colored boy and
colored girl, also reports a prob
lem about dances. And some
parents Withdrew their daugh-
ters when the new policy was,
first established. But Sister
Agnesene, principal, said things
now are going smoothly.
"The colored students do as
good work on the average as the
white children" she reported.
One colored girl, an A student,
transferred to Holy Cross Acad-
emy last year.
st. Anthony's, another coed
high school, has only two Negro
students now but expects more
next fall. One of the present
pair, senior. is the schools
best girl athlete and star pitcher
of the champion Softball team.
Some Negro applicants have
been turned down by most of
these schools, but many white
youngsters also fail to qualify.
And not too many Negroes have
yet applied.
Like the high schools, some
parish schools still have few or
no colored children since some
parishes have few or no colored
residents. .
Situation in Counties.
At present. the integration
plan is not in operation in the
Southern Maryland counties of
the archdiocese (Calvert, Charles
and st. Marys). But the 96
schools in the District, Mont
gomery and Prince Georges are
all cooperating.
In nearby Virginia there is
still complete segregation in
Catholic schools, which operate
under the diocese of Richmond.
That diocese last week an
nounced the ending of race bars
at the Catholic high school in
Richmond and offered to do
the same in Norfolk if Negro
Catholics there wish to close
their own high school.
Msgr. Edward. L. Stephens in
Alexandria said 30 policy change
is expected in this vicinity next
fall, mainly because white paro-
chial schools are too crowded.
But it is certain that eventu-
ally white and colored Catholic
schools will be completely inte-
grated" he said.
In the suburbs, however, the
integration question is much less
significant, since the proportion
of Negro residents is much
smaller than in the District.
One prospect connected with
the impending public school in
tegration which pleases the
Catholic school leaders is that
sports events between public and
parochial schools will no longer
be restricted.
AS for the prospects on work.
ing out public school integration
itself. the Catholic educators
feel their own experience is en-
couraging.
Sister Cornelia. principal of
st. Anthony's High, put it:
"We had parental objections
at f1ySt, but I believe public
school parents will come around
as ours did. We're all very
happy about it,"