Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-31

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SGtton.
boy or girl is admitted. AS g
matter of fact, II districting is
adhered to, few Negroes would
be eligible for most schools
now attended by white chill
dren. Those white children in
the neighborhood of a colored
school and who would not at
tend should be allowed to stay
out Of school until their par
ents could send them to
parochial or private school, or
be carried to a distant school,
or until their parents began
to realize the foolishness Of
prejudice.
Fortunately, many thou
sands of educated white people
are alarmed at the seriousness
of the Gray Commission pro-
posals. Many of them are not
yet ready for integrated
schools but would obey the
Supreme Court m a n d a t e S
rather than see the public
school system put in jeopardy
after so many years of travail
in its birth and growth. The
proponents of the system are
chiefly politicians and would
be leaders of those who believe
in the outmoded doctrine Of
race superiority. They capital
iZe on an electorate in which
poor white people and most of
the 100000 potential Negro
voters have been disfranchised.
Negroes almost unanimously
oppose segregation. In a sam
pling of Negro opinion in nine
Virginia counties, of 2.077
Negroes approached. over 1000
signed a statement sent to the
Gray Commission. opposing
any form Of public segregation.
Although school superintend-
ents in many south Virginia
counties have tried TO in
timidate Negro teachers with
the 30-day-tenure c!Huse, the
great majority Of teachers
have been recorded against
the proposals. The faculty OF
Hampton Institute, lit
teachers. voted unanimously
in opposition. Negroes have the
same love for Virginia ex-
pressed in the State song,
written by a Negro, James
Bland. Garry Me Back to Ole
Virginny." They love the
United States and want to
ABIDE by its Constitution. they
believe an act 70 evade the
Constitution would be immoral
and In the end will prove to
be illegal. The great majority
will vote mo" on January 9.
E. b. Henderson,
President, Virginia State Con-
ference, National Associa-
ton Of Colored People.
# r X
Opponents Of the constitu-
tional convention must GER
tainly believe that the voters
of Arlington County and sur
rounding areas are terrifically
naive about the ways Of life.
First things come first, GER
tainly. Before the Legislature
may enact the provisions of
the Gray report, the conven-
ton must be called. 1t would
appear that said opponents
have something to fear in the
will of the people. The proper
place to oppose the provisions
recommended in the Gray bill
would be With the Legislature.
1t would further appear shat
no one would care to oppose
any proposition being put be-
fore the voters for their deci-
sion. Why the determined
effort to defeat the conven-
ton. then? Certain groups
issue statements that they are
opposed to the convention and
project their reasons. They
would tax your intelligence
with half truths and misstate-
ments. as well as conjecture
based on lack Of faith in our
republican system Of govern
ment. 1t would be interesting
to see the membership lists
of those organizations opposed
to the convention.
One local paper has printed
in full the directive of the