Evening star., 1954-05-18
Statements Issued
By Organizations
And individuals

ganizations issued statements in
the wake of yesterdays ruling
against segregation in the public
schools.
Among them were the follow
ing:
The Washington Board of
Trade: 'The Supreme Courts
significant ruling is not entirely
unexpected. In anticipation of
it. many citizens and officials
have studied procedures to be
employed in effecting compli-
ance.
1T appears that the court will
hear further arguments respect
ing the manner of putting the
decision into effect.
1T is now incumbent on all
good citizens to study the mat
ter effectively with a view
toward effecting the transition
and administering the public
schools under the revised rules"
District Branch, National As
ISOLATION for the Advancement of
COlOred People, Eugene David
son, president: II am prouder
this day than ever before to be
an American. This qualification,
I firmly believe, is shared by
white and colored from North
to South.
THE Supreme Court decision
outlawing the separate but equal
theory and second-class citizen
ship is less important to Negroes
than to the America whose lead
ership in world democracy has
been threatened and weakened
by the practices just outlawed."
The NAACP added, in a later
statement, that it regards the
decision as "a highly significant
step in the forward progress of
American democracy" 1t added:
In overruling the separate but
equal doctrine laid down by
Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896, the
court reinforced the faith of all
Americans in the basic justice of
our system.
This ruling further vindicates
the 45-year fight of the NAACP
to establish the principle that to
segregate is to discriminate, and,
accordingly, violates out ConSti-
tuition and the American spirit
of equality. This decision gives
the lie to the Communist propa-
ganda that American democracy
is decadent and that Negroes or
other minoritieS cannot obtain
justice through the Democratic
processes. In accordance with the
Courts decision, the NAACP is
fully prepared to present further
argument for the formulation of
DEGREES and will exert every ef-
fort to win fully community COM
pliance with this historic de-
cision."
This statement also COM
mended Thurgood Marshall, the
groups top. legal adviser and his
staff.
Washington Chapter, Ameri-
cans for Democratic Action:
"The Supreme Court decision
has once and for all Knocked
out the basis on which segrega-
ton in the public schools was
supposed to hinge. The look
with confidence for all citizens
of the District to support a
smooth changeover from a seq
regated to an integrated school
system. We expect the Board
of Education to perfect the me-
chanics of the changeover so
that it can be full yin effect by
September when the schools
OPEN"
National ADA added that the
decision lis triumph for de-
mocracy, here and throughout
the world. It removes one of
the darkest blots on American
democracy and one of the most
critical doubts of our ability to
provide equal rights and oppor-
tunities for all our citizens"
The statement added:
with the constitutional issue
definitely decided against segre-
CATION. only the exact timing
and the manner of enforcement
remains to be determined. There
is no need for any State or the
District of Columbia to wait for
the Courts decree before moving
to abolish segregation, and
Americans for Democratic Ac-
ton calls on them to take
immediate action to this end"
DIR. C. Herbert Marshall. pres
ident of the Federation of Civic
Associations: 1T was a very
welcome decision. 1 think it
has given us added incentive to
develop Washington as a true
citadel of democracy. There will
be no more trouble in changing
over from the segregated to the
integrated program than there
was when the barriers were low
cred in the restaurant cases."
Mrs. William T. Mason, presi-
dent of the National Council of
Negro Women: This decision,
watched with intense interest
throughout the civilized world,
gives credence to the fact that
we are determined to reconcile
democratic practices with dem
ocratic principles. :. The coun-
Gil believes that not only is
segregation outmoded as. "a sys-
tenn of education, but believes as
strongly that it is outmoded as
a way of life"
Commissioner Renah CANA
lier: Our Supreme Court has
spoken. The issue of Segrega-
ton in our public schools has
been definitely clarified and the