Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-09
Reputation Of School Board Members
To the Editor Of The stor::

Your editorial of February entitled
"Of Dubious Wisdom" deserves analy-
sis, comment and answer. For in this
document there are interviewer mis-
leading innuendos, inaccuracies and the
adherence to theories without regard
to practical considerations.
It was clever innuendo to suggest
that DR.. Ph.D) Butcher. distinguish
ed educator, was q newcomer" and
hence naive; that she was insincere In
her fight that all children, regardless of
race, be given the same educational OPP
portunities; that all her efforts have
been propaganda" for integrated
schools.
DR.. Butcher probably has no profess
sional peer on the Board Of Education,
composed as it Is for the most part
Of laymen with other professions. and
with other than educational interests
and training. DR.. Butcher has con-
sistently insisted that while she is alb
solutely opposed to segregation, she
recognizes an obligation as q member
of the Board to work for equality even
in the segregated system which she
opposes To suggest or rather to state
categorically that every effort Of hers
to get better educational facilities is
not only near assassination of character,
but can and will be interpreted by many
as editorial support of inferior schools
for Negroes until migration comes and
even after.
This possible conclusion of many Of
your readers is given great support as
you refer to the controlling decisions"
of two Federal Courts that such in
equalities as have been pointed out by
Dr.. Butcher and admitted by the
Superintendent do not have legal
basis"
In the days of slavery similar
techniques were used to hold humans
in bondage. Slaves were told of the
Bible admonition: Servants, obey thy
masters" The Stars technique seems
to exhort law-abiding Negro citizens to
be satisfied with inequality because the
courts have held that there are no
inequalities.
The facts are that no Federal Court
has ever supervised a survey of the
Washington schools and on the basis
of such survey found that schools in
Division / and Division II are sub
Stantially equal; that in one of the
Federal decisions referred to Carr
CaSe) an injunction was refused on the
uninveStigated affidavit of school off,
Gals that inequalities did not exist:
and that in the other case browne
Junior High) the decision was con-
fined to temporary" inequalities in one
school. which the court ruled were
being adequately corrected.
But even If the decisions had held
that inequalities did not exist in 1850.
thousands of colored children and
hundreds of overworked colored teach
erS can for that reason find little COM
fort in the facts of inequalities in 1854.
These comments. however, do not go
to the fundamental position of the
District Of Columbia Branch of the
National Association, for the Advance
ment of Colored People, a position
which has been distorted by this
editorial.
The NAACP has not raised the race
issue. This issue was raised by the
facts Of segregation and discrimination,
OF the undiSputed inequalities and of
the system Of selecting Board members.
The justification for the NAACP ex-
pressing its official position on this
matter is that the Negroes progress and
functioning democracy are dependent
to a great extent and in many areas
on the voices Of spokesman who
actually represent the aspirations of
large minority group of American
citizens and of a growing segment of
the majority group. Some "spokesmen"
are selected for US by others who NAV
not and often do not have points of
view OF white and colored liberals
Such spokesman" If they presume to
represent us. must act and speak in our
behalf or suffer reputation.
The reputation of two of the Negro
Board members was and is against
them not as honorable and sincere
individuals, but as persons symbolic of
abortive, decadent and reactionary
leadership.
The reasoning Of The Star that
members OF the Board represent all the
people and not just groups with special
interests Is a doctrinaire approach-an
approach which holds to pure theory
IN spite OF realities. Without such an
approach the position of the NAACP
Is not singular except as judged by the
traoltlonal position of some of our
leaoerS' who are picked for us. Be-
cause OF our system of selection of
Board members by Court Justices.
three Negroes are appointed to repre-
sent the Negro population. The judges
know this, the Board of Education
know this, the public know this. the
Negro members know this and The
Star knows this. The silence of all eight
OF the Board members on an issue so
simple and uncomplicated is to be
heartily condemned. The silence of
Colonel Hamilton and Attorney VIII
Hams, however, must carry with it the
implication that at least two thirds
OF the Negroes in Washington appre-
ciate their position and silence.
IheSe men have q right to their
opinions as individuals, but the action
Tor individuals with opinions at va
rance with those they reputedly rep
resent is to resign their unpaid posi-
lions or at least to make it crystal
clear that they do not represent the
colored population of Washington.
Eugene Davidson, President.
u. c. Branch, National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People,
Done by order Of NAACP Executive
Committee.
Your editorial entitled, "Of Dubious
Wisdom" in The Star of February
in NV 0Y1iy1ioV, &c %;v,aol,,