Arizona sun., 1962-03-29
kAACP Pushes Northern
School Desegregafion

New York = Local units of the
National Association for the Ad-
vancement of Colored People in
country, from Connecticut to Cali
fornia are engaged in a variety
Of action programs designed to
rid their communities of inferior
segregated schools and to end
discriminatory teacher assign
ments, Miss June Shagaloff, the
Associations education specialist,
reveals in a summary report sub
mitted to Executive Secretary Roy
Wilkins.
Miss Shagaloff's report, made
public today, lists 26 cities In
which action has been initiated by
NAACP branches and indicates
other areas where desegregation
programs are being formulated in
compliance with a resolution adopt
ed at the Associations SIND an
nual convention in Philadelphia
last July. Included in the report
are eight cities in which law suits
have been filed.
The convention resolution calls
for intensified local programs, to
insure the end of ell segregated
public education in fact or by law
by all means available"
Seven areas Of activity are pro-
posed by the resolution: teacher
assignment without regard to race
enriched curricula and adequate
educational equipment; opposition
to the neighborhood school con-
cept wherever its use maintains
segregated schools; advocacy OF
permissive zoning to achieve in
tegrated schools; encouragement of
the use of open enrolment pro-
grams; careful selection of sites
for new schools with a view
to averting development of Jim
Grow schools; study of the records
and attitudes of candidates for
local school boards and other gov
ernmental agencies concerned with
schools.
Eight Law Suits Filed
In addition to law suits already
filed in eight cities, Miss Shaga-
lofts report lists such branch ac-
tivities as examination of school
practices and conditions, confer
ences and negotiations with local
school boards, a school sit-in de-
monstration in Chicago, picket
ing in Montclair, ~ j., and
complaints filed with state COM
missioners of education.
Law suits to end segregated
public schools have been sponsor
ed by NAACP units in Pasadena,
Calf; Chicago and Centerville,
H.; Kansas City, Kans.; Hemp
stead, N. Y: Newark and Orange,
N. j.; and Philadelphia. In the
Hampstead and Orange cases, COM
plants have also been filed with
the respective state commissioners
of education. The legal program
is under the direction of the ASSo-
ciation's general counsel, Robert
L. Carter.
Problems involved in the 26 COM
munities include:
-gerrymandering and zoning to
achieve segregation in Pasadena,
Calf; Stamford, Conn; Plainfield,
| N. j.; Hampstead, Manhasset, N.
Y; : de facto and deliberate seq
regation resulting primarily from
adherence to the neighborhood
school concept in Chicago, Detroit,
Englewood, Newark, Jersey City
and Orange, N. j.; Cleveland, Phi
ladelphia; = discriminatory teach
er employment and assignments
in Fairmount Park, Joliet and
haywood, ILL.,; Nyack, N. Y; and
Coatesville, Pa; inequitable
utilization of school facilities in
Chicago, Amityville and Manhas-
set, N. Y; Chester, Pa; = mis-
use of transfer privilege in Fair
mount Park, Ill.
DesegregatiOn Steps Taken
In two localities, NAACP units
were confronted with unusual, if
not unique, segregation devices.
Until 1857, Negro and white chill
dren in Centerville, ILL.,, used the
same school facilities, but at diff
ferent sessionS-one racial group
in the morning and the other in
the afternoon. This plan was aban-