The Omaha guide., 1955-07-29
Editorials
towards The Final Phase Of
nti-Segregotion Struggle

AS in the past, there are some people who say we m moving too
fast and others who say we are moving too slow. The obvious answer
is that we are moving and that is the important factor to keep in
mind In and out Of court the opposition will do everything in its
power to delay the inevitable. Against this group we must use every
legitimate lawful means to speed the day when segregation in public
education is completely removed from American life.
AS we approach this last and most certainly final phase of the
struggle, we must carefully appraise our resources toward this end.
We are constantly hesrtened by the everincreadng numbers Of
school boards which have voluntarily desegregated their public
school systems in conformity with the law of the land. Many of
these actions have been made despite all types of pressure to the con
trary from state governmental officials To these school boards. and
those who in good faith contemplate desegregation in the immediate
future we must say that they will have our wholehearted cooperation.
We add to this the tangible offer of advice from experts in the field
of education, paid by the NAACP. We are also certain that the Negro
public school teachers in these places stand ready to cooperate to the
fullest toward full and complete Indignation of the school system on
a cooperative basis
Another group of school boards includes those which have been
waiting for the final decision of the Supreme Court and are now
moving toward complete desegregaton. We will cooperate with them
in the fullest fashion.
To all other local school boards we must say that the time has
come for a definite decision on their part as to whether or not they
intend to proceed IN good faith to comply with the Supreme Courts
decision. We will petition these school boards, one by one, offering
our cooperation Of support in any good faith move toward desegrega-
ton. We will make every effort under the sun to cooperate with
these school boards But if we find that a school board is either de-
termined to continue to violate the law of the land by maintaining
segregated schools OF in procrastinating with the use of isugarcoated
words, plans and prolonged studies, we will then be forced to resort
to the courts to compel compliance with the law of the land.
The record of voluntary desegregaton of public schools extend
ing in areas from Missouri and Delaware down as far as Ell Paso,
Texas, and several towns in Oklahoma and Arkansas shows conclu-
sively that segregation can be abolished in public education in the
South as well as in the border states The only thing necessary is
the will to act on the part of responsible school officials. 1t is our
JOB to give to these officials the will to act, one way or the other
We will first seek to do this through negotiation, conference and all
of the help we can give. Failing in this, we will have to educate"
them through legal action in the courts.
On the other side of the picture, we have the rockribbed segre-
gationists, the white supremacits and the like, who are dedicated to
delaying desegregation as long IS thew car. Thew intend to use
every means, lawful and unlawful, to prevent the inevitable. They
Will use every delaying tactic known to the law and many unknown
to the law to delay final judgment in the cases W e will have to file
In many areas of the South. They will also give aid and comfort, as
well IS support to the unAmerican organizations dedicated to white
supremacy who are no more or no less than revised, revamped and re-
named groups of the old Ku Kux Khan. These groups with the sup
port OF state officials will use every economic pressure possible a.
galnst Negroes who insist on being full Americans. They will use
this r6SSure against labOrlQQ men Al we'll &C thn rrofncci0naI nan
such as doctors, businessmen and lawyers. Typical of this is what
has been happening in Mississippi. An example of how far this ac-
ton goes is also in Mississippi where white supremacist organizations
after unsuccessfuly trying the economic squeeze on local Negroes
then resorted to the typical brutality as exempifed by the killing of
Rev. G. w Lee in Belzoni, Mississippi, some weeks ago.
We find that the State of Louisiana has made available 500 900
to hire lawyers, do research and oppose whatever cases we file to
destroy desegregation in Louisiana. The Attorney General of Ala
bama has added four men to his staff for the same purpose. That
state also has under consideration a bill which would require the
NAACP or any group fighting the states segregation laws to register
and receive a certificate from the state before being allowed to
solicit memberships and funds. This is IN attempt to curb u SUP
port in Alabama. Attorney General Eugene Cook of Georgia has pro-
posed a State Board of Education regulation to bar from the public
schools teachers who join or support the NAACP. Already the Geor-
ga board adopted a rule to revoke the license of any person who
teaches mixed classes
No doubt other states will attempt similar measures. 1t possibly
could have been expected that the entire South would take its de-
feat in sportsmanlke manner in the true American tradition. It
could have been expected that once the law of the land was made
clear the entire South would fall in line. Yet you and I and and the
world know that while the people of the South are as law abiding as
any other Americans, governmental officials in many areas of the
South have defed whatever law was deemed by them to be bad and
they have constantly and repeatedly set themselves as over and above
the law of man and even the law of God. Our country has always
ben able to deal with such challenges and there is no doubt it can
deal with these latest ones.
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