The Tribune. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1951-19??, 1954-06-12
PRESS COMMENTS

What The Bedford Bulletin soys obou+ the n G Gu
Preme Courts Decision on Segregation In The Public
Schools:
SEGREGATION ENDS"
Inc United States Supreme Court last week ended
segregation In the public schools the decision being by
unanimous vote OF the nine justices The courts decree
was met by storm of criticism and protest THROUGHOUT
the South There few muttered threats of defvino
the court some searching into of evadng the full
import OF the decision but there no roting or anv
evidence that the decree would up violence or dscord
between the races
On the whole the South took the adverse decision of
the court rather quietly Most the state governors
and other leaders, while dsagreeing with the courts in
depreciation OF the constitution urged their peope both
whte ana colored, against demonstrations that might
lead to trouble and the exercise sober Judgment in the
face of the condition confronting them A few
states had previously threatened should the high court
outlaw segregation to abolish their public school systems
but this unthnkabe solution and we do not believe
he whites In those states would support any action which
deprves their children of the education facilities which
o De nao only through operation of free public schools
In the light OF lower federal court decisions touch
ing segregation during the last two wears the fear was
general through the South that Supreme Court would
reverse its position that equal but separate ed
caonal facilities for the all requirements of
tne We do not propose to discuss the merits
OF the courts decision further than to point out chat
was based on what regard strained Interpretation
OF the meaning of the word equal" The 18th amend
ment to the constitution adopted in 1868 used this word
only to assure that the newly Negroes would not
be Disseminated against in courts of law no bear
ing on segregation it intended by the Congress
winch adopted it to have any such bearing. In other
Words the court based it's decision social theory and
not the actual meaning of the word equal as
used In the 18th amendment to the constitution.
just what is going to happen when the ban against
segregation goes into effect probably four five
from now remains to be The to the whole prob
lem is in the hands of Negro patrons the public schools
AS race they all resent segregation laws because of the
inference they that the Negro belongs inferior
That is quite understandable, but despite their
law tho in
there has been great camor among Negroes for
ton of seperate schools On the contrary Negro lead
especially in the South regard ntegration with con-
siderable alarm They convinced that Negro pupils
will the whole, be better satisfied with schools of
their with corps of instructors of their own race
will prefer this if the states and localities will simply
supply buildings and other facilities equal those the
whites. Along this line struck by news item
from Gibson Ga which appeared in the daily press last
Wednesday. 1t read follows:
"Negro members of the board of trustees of the
Gascock County Training school and 800 Negro patrons
have passed resolution asking continued separation of
schools, r. G. Kent, school superintendent announced
today MAY 49, The resolution adopted unanimously
said
eve go record publicly as favoring separate
schools for white and coored and especially request
that schools be kept separate from the whites and that
children be taught by colored teachers in keeping
with the traditions which have existed in Gascock County
throughout all these years"
Doubtless many other Negroes in the South feel the
way about the whole matter. 1t seems to that
before either decides upon of action they
should get together for and free discussion Of
what the best to follow In Bedford County for
instance the county high school for Negroes is
ing completion and will be ready at the opening of the
term in September It is by far the best high school
building in the county We believe the great bulk of Negro
high school pupils and their parents prefer to make
of it's facilities originally planned This should be
terned before other action is decided upon the city
of Roanoke a high school plant, unequaed in the
state, has been built for Negro pupils Will the Negroes
of that city want to abandon it for the privilege of at
tendinng the white schools? We do not think The
law interpreted by the Supreme Court permits them