Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-06-30
School of Choice

Racial Imbalance In the
Schools" was excellent and
one Of the few sensible ex-
plantations Of the problem I
have seen.
In a cover story Of about
a year ago, U. s. News and
World Report criticized the
city of Washington for not
setting a proper example to
the Nation in the matter Of
school indignation. Its rea-
soning was based on the
very high ratio of Negro stu
dents in the Washington
public schools. To bring
about true indignation, the
article continued, a greater
proportion of white students
should be brought into each
of the schools, and there
would be balance.
Last September, the new
Central Junior High School
in San Francisco was not
opened because Of a contro-
versy over ''imbalance." 1t
happened to be located in a
Negro neighborhood and,
naturally, most or all of the
students would have been
Negroes. But pressure groups
would not allow this "segre-
CATION" wanted white chill
dren to cross school bound
aries, etc. AS a result, the
school board decided to keep
the new school closed until
the problem was solved.
These examples certainly
are not the intelligent solu-
tons to the problem, nor
do they approach the true
causes of the imbalance, as
your editorial did. Their
logic is about the same as
sending a group of students
from Paris to a school in
Milan because there is an
unfair proportion Of Italian
students in the Milan school.
Robert J. Foley
&&&
I am sure The Star, in the
the position 1t has taken on
school indignation, has tried
to appear moderate" In
spite Of this 1t seems to me
the sympathies of The Star
(as with more liberal" news
papers, have been centered
upon what might be con-
sidered the best school en-
vironment for Negro chill
dren. The equally important
consideration of what might
be the best environment for
white school children seems
to have been forgotten.
The Star very properly has
criticized the announced poll
icy of the New York State
Education Commissioner to
eliminate racial imbalance"
by carting Negro children all
over town to make sure they
get into white schools. The
Star has called the policy an
absurd numbers game" and
has pointed out its futility in
cities where the Negro popu-
lation is dense. However, The
Star did not mention what to
most freedom loving people
must be the policy's most
glaring inequity-its failure
to afford white children an
equal opportunity to be
carted off over town so that
they, too, might enjoy the
benefits of predominantly
white schools.
We have had the word of no
less an authority than the
United Supreme Court that
requiring Negro children TO
attend Negro schools gen
crates a feeling OF inferiority
as TO their status in the COM
munity that may affect their
hearts and minds In a way
unlikely ever 10 be undone."
How strange II is that no
one seems TO have expert
enced q similar concern over
white children required TO at
tend Negro schools.
Harvey II. Hewitt.
I agree with the conclu-
sions OF your editorial
Racial Imbalance In the
Schools" but 1t seems TO me
that your statement that
"there is no question but
that the best school environ
ment for Negro children
would be one In which the
students are OF varied racial,
cultural. economic and reli-
gious backgrounds negates
partially what would other
wise be an excellent editor
ial. Would II not also be
true that the best school
environment which you des-
nYtha mould he artta1Iv unod