Evening star., 1954-11-11
Fairfax Board Rescinds Vote
For Local lntegrotion Option
Reverses Stand on School Issue
AS Angry Citizens Crowd Herring
By Mary Lou Werner.

The Fairfax Board Of County
Supervisors is now on record
agreeing to abide by State policy
on school segregation, after
abandoning a previous stand
which favored. maximum local
option in meeting the problem.
The complete turnabout came
yesterday when the supervisors
were confronted with about 100
angry citizens armed with 2,843
signatures on d petition urging
repeal Of the local-option reso-
luton adopted three weeks ago.
Those who spoke against the
local-option resolution insisted
1t implied the county was ready
to integrate schools. The su-
pervisors said that was not their
intention.
Mrs, Anne Wilkins, sponsor Of
the local-option resolution, said
she offered it because she did
not feel a county like Fairfax
with few Negro residents wanted
to be bound by policies of down.
state counties that have a ma
jority of Negro residents.
Reared in South Carolina.
II was born and reared in
Rock Hill, &C." said Mrs.
Wilkins. II know the problem.
1t can be solved only If we face
it with calmness and delibera-
tion.",
She said she agreed that the
supervisors at this time should
take no definite action for or
against integration until the
Supreme Courts final decree is
known.
up to this point, the board
has taken no such stand" she
insisted. "Our action was
brought about by a request from
the Governors commission for
some expression from u.s."
She reviewed the local option
resolution. which stated that the
Fairfax supervisors believed free
public education should be pre-
served, and a maximum of local
option should be allowed 80 as
to assure orderly compliance
with. the Supreme Courts deci-
Sioil,n s.,
TT was this last phase that
rankled those who opposed the
resolution.
Vote for Resembling.
After two hours Of listening to
protests, the supervisors backed
down and voted to rescind their
local option resolution. The mo-
ton to rescind was offered by
Supervisor c. B. Runyon, who
did not vote on the local option |
resolution three weeks ago. Mrs. |
Wilkins cast the lone dissenting
vote on the motion to reScind.
Loud applause dlled the board
room as soon as the motion to |
rescind passed. In the confu-
sion, Mr.. Runyon offered the |
second resolution whereby the
supervisors agree to abide by
whatever policy Gov. Stanley
and his segregation commission
adopt. Mrs. wilkins also cast
the lone opposing vote against
that resolution at the time it
was offered. 1
Four hours later, when the
crowd had left and the super
visors held a post mortem on
what happened, Supervisor
Maurice Fox said he had not
heard the second resolution. He
protested that the county
shouldn't agree to abide by a
policy when it did not yet know
what that policy might be. He
asked that the record show he
was opposed to Mr.. Runyon's
second resolution.
The whole meeting gave some
indication what the Governors
commission might expect to
hear when 1t convenes in Rich
mond Monday for public hear
ings on the school segregation
problem. Here are the COM
ments Of some who spoke in
Fairfax yesterday:
Kenneth III. Hooley---.sThis
Supreme Court decision was one
Of the most disgraceful, Marxism
types Of court decisions ever
handed down. 81. Fart Of the !
Communist Party pledge urges
. struggle for Negro rights. !"
Mrs. Mary Perent-"T There is
o bigger difference between
white and Negroes than the
color Of skin. .. Nine men of
mediocre ability overruled opin-
ions Of some OF the best legal
minds in history. One of those
nine men was an immigrant
and another was the son of an
immigrant. The Supreme Court
decision was the result of we'll
planned effort to destroy our
country from Within
Walter White 1T don't
thirK the supervisors intended to
tak9 action for integration, but
the resolution can be used that
way. ! think the School Boards
position Is more in keeping with |
the views OF most Of the people"
(Tha county School Board has
agreed Informally that it hopes
to operate separate white and
colored schools on a voluntary
baSis.)
Earl Sanders IT believe that |
resolution states this board is in |
favor Of going along with the |
Supreme Court and mingling |
white and colored children in
school,"
James Whytock- THE resolu- |
ton merely asks orderly con- |
formity with the Supreme Court
decision. It does not imply |
whether the board lis for or
against integration. ! do not |