The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1959-02-21
School Segregation


Gconsinved from Back Page,
WITH THE cokFEDERAcf.
This soythern White t~o letters on Sesress
ton in me Schools first published in the hew
Orleans Bulletin. Sept. II, ls7s
Mr.. Editor
BELIEVING IN THE GOOD EFFECT or PUBLIC DIS
CUSTOM THROUGH THE NEWSPAPERS. AND ASKING
THE COURTESY or 4 PLACE ~ YOUR WIDELY READ
COLUMNS. BEG TO ASK WHETHER WE HAVE
not ALL ALONG BEEN MAKING TOO MUCH ADO OVER
THIS NATTER or MIXED SCHOOLS
BIT nat 50 fast" some ~ill say. Az school companion
ships ere formed beyond school hours and into
social LIE True enough Our children will 90 as We oa
when ne we're in schoot THEY WILL SELECT AND CON-
FER FREE conPANloRsHlP UPON CERTAIN PLAY
MATES ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN AND THEIR
PARENTS IDEAS or MENTAL CALDER MORAL
WORTH AND SOCIAL POSITION end the rest Of the
may way Iris fact asn rather an argument
sssins, or hostility TIE scHocLRoom NEITHER RE-
CURES NOR INDUCES SOCIAL EQUALITY Social equality
is matter Of personal preference
BIT here the sqOr7ent-r, nornen is thrust in: How
would you Ike ycyr 50, or dyyyh'r SIT desk with
Negro2" shcol5 ssk What nsrn?~ are quickly an
s~ered DHarr enough ire Negro IS an inferior being
rHc. do yov <no~5 Why 9 belongs inferior race"
AL SO re Dos, YET HE NIGHT Be SUPERIOR TO MY
SON AND HELP -ln DO HIS SUNS FOR ALL THAT. BUT
SUPPOSE Hin TO &c INFERIOR. AFTER ALL NY BOY
NAY GO TO PUBLIC SCHOOL, Mixed OR UNmiIED. FOR
TWENTY YEARS AND NEVER -LPPEh TO SIT WITH
~ EXACT EQUAL ElT-ER PHYSICALLY, SOCIALLY.
MENTALLY or MORALLY.
lie. IS IRIS pon' rc1e particularly that FOR GENERA
TONS PARENTS HAVE BEEN SENDING THEIR Chill
0REN TO Our PUBLIC SCHOOLS RECOGNIZING WITH
IMMUNITY TIE FACT THAT THEIR CHILDREN THERE
MEET sc-ooLnATes TOO FAR sENsATA THEM IN THE
SOCIAL SCALE TO ADMIT or ! SPEAKING AcoUAINT-
AkcE BEYOND T-E WALLS or TrE scAooLYARD.
The OPPONENTS or NlIEO SCHOOLS PROPOSE TO
AFFORD EQUAL But SEPARATE ADVANTAGES TO
EACH RACE CisTlNcTVELY 1T 5EHoCVEs THEM TO
rlTioNlL EIFEksE But AFTER ALL DO WHAT We
CAN TIE DISTINCTION IS ccloUsi FOR THOUGH
ACCOMMODATIONS WERE EVERY WHIT EQUAL IN TWO
SETS OF SCHOOLS. SHOULD one SET RE CLOSED
AGAINST Any OTHER CLASS OTHER THAN THE
BLACKS As FOR EXAMPLE MERELY THE IRISH
NEED NOT SAY WHAT INDIGNATION WOULD BE
AROUSED NAY "rAT BLOOD WOULD BE She'd nor
ho~ uyic<ly me c'ossJ doors would be battered in.
YeI ~ Editpr have not The space, leisure 10
dscvs question OF coored teachers is not the main
issue But CAN fAY N PASSING THAT HUNDREDS OF
DEMuP7. nc PARENTS AMONG OUR PEOPLE HAVE HAD
THEIR CHILDREN NoURlsHED AT THE BREASTS OF
NEGRO NUEsES-FcR THESE PARENTS TO OBJECT TO
THEIR CHILDREN BEING TAUGHT BY AN EDUCATED
AND POLITE MULATTo IS RATHER ILLOGICAL If
We WITHDRAW CUR CHILDREN FROM THE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS On THE COLOR LINE. THOUSANDS OF POOR
PARENT WILL FOLLOW TIE EXAMPLE AND THEIR
CHILDREN WILL CO 70 THAT SCHOOL or DEPRAvITY
The STREET WHOSE DiPL ONA At BEST is a SHAVED
HEAD AND 4 STRIPED SUIT WOULD RATHER PAY
FOR SCHOOLS THAN PRISONS
lF The RACE IS INFERIOR WE CAN THE BETTER
AFFORD TO GIVE THEM AN EVEN START If ANY
CHILE, ccLoRED OR coLoRLEss IS DIRTY OR VICIOUS
The RULES or TIE SCHOOL WILL COMPEL HIS ExPuL
SION II ne IS NOT ASK. AND APPEAL TO EACH
READERS SENSE or FAIRNESS FOR HIS ANSWER.
WHAT HARM WILL THE CHILD DO?
Southern White Nan George W. csbIe)
think this letter timely rebui'a 10 tina, Of Carleton
Putnam. ESQ
An inferior Black Man tArnod Brown