Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-09-15
School Indignation

BY somewhat paraphrasing
your editorial of September
10, Little Rock Plea" the
sound side Of the issue can
be shown. From my side Of
the coin, what you really
contend is that-at whatever
cost to democracy-segrega-
ton must proceed, and that
the greatest need at this
point of most local school
bodies of the South is all the
guidance they can be given in
multiplying the constitutional
rights of a subordinated but
large minority of our popula-
ton, but catalytically, at
least, the 1854 ruling, if sup
ported as a national policy,
will supply the correct answer
TO the Little Rock Plea re-
turn to reason so that the
normal course of civilization
may be resumed in the South.
Moreover, regardless of how
the phrase "all deliberate
speed" is interpreted. even
ignorance cannot permit us
here to sidestep its aspect Of
progress, although it must be
approached with caution and
care. To know the correlation
Of progress and civilization
prevents us from wanting
what civilization cannot give
--an official roll-back through
hostility to order and reason.
Ignorance can never be al
lowed to stand in the light
of the kind of guidance which
not only Little Rock but most
of the South actually needs.
In, fact, ignorance-which
apparently prevents the South
from seeing that the sover-
eighty of the whole must be
greater than that of any Of
its parts--is the soundest
reason for forbidding States
unbridled rights. More than
that, If the Constitution vio-
lates this precept, 1t should
be amended. This fact, too.
is Of the highest importance.
John p. MurchisOn.
A news dispatch tells us
that Negro parents in New
York have defled that States
compulsory school attendance
laws because they want their
children transferred from in
tegrated but predominantly
Negro schools to other schools
where there are more white
children. These Negro par
ents contend that these in
tegrated but predominantly
Negro schools are "suhstand-
ard" and that they would af-
ford an inferior" education
to their children. They state
they will carry the issue to
the Supreme Court if neces-
Sary.
There must be many white
parents in the District of Coll
umbia who can sympathize
with these New York Negro
parents. They are witnessing
the forced attendance Of
white children into substand-
ard integrated schools where
Negroes predominant. They
are witnessing the effect Of
this situation upon the edu-
cation of their children. Per-
haps some brave souls among
these white parents will mus
ter the courage to protest.
too. Perhaps some white or
ganization comparable to the
NAACP will be formed to as
sist these white parents in
taking their case to the SUE
preme Court!
Harvey H. Hewitt.
Segregation is only a syn
onym for injustice. racial
discrimination and even tyr
amy. l am a Negro. live in
a Southern city and am now
stationed here in the Army.
/ will not go home when !
leave the Army. There are
many people who will never
be able to leave the South.
One of the cardinal princi-
Piles Of a democracy tours.
that isl is protection Of the
minority. The South has not
done this. In fact, it has
achieved an infamy paral-
leled by many modern totali-
tartan dictators. Ask Alexan-
dria School Superintendent
Williams, who fired a colored
cook for asking that segre-
cation end.
Segregation is based on a
medieval superstition that to
be different is characteristic
of some superannuated dew
iltry. In my home town, Ne
groes may not hold civil serv-
ice Jobs. use the municipal
auditorium, or have jobs like
nnlicaTne1 whieh are stricflv