Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-03-10
By ELIZABETH MEADE
Contributing Writer

self to other men on the level
of common aspirations and
humanity"
Mrs. Boyle, author Of 1.-THE
Desegregated Heart" a re-
Gently published book Of her
experiences in the integra-
ton struggle, was brought up
in the proper confines of a
well = born Virginia family.
The daughter Of an Episco-
pal minister, she never doubt
ed that Virginia was the CEN
ter of the universe or that
Negroes were different from
whites.
She did not doubt, that is,
until 1850 when Gregory
Swanson, a 26-year-old Ne
gro lawyer from Danville, Va,
challenged the University of
Virginia's right to continue
the practice Of segregation.
BY this act, Swanson also
challenged the State law
which forbade race mixing"
in tax supported schools.
When he applied for admis-
sion to the university's law
school, he was refused.
II had never thought about
Indignation one way or the
other" Mrs. Boyle admits.
II hadn't thought Of Negroes
as being qualified for admis-
sion to the university. Yet,
this man clearly was quail
fled, and was refused on no
ground except that of being a
Negro" This was the begin
ming Of Mrs. Boyle's 12-year
crusade for indignation.
Struck with what she felt
to be the injustices done to
the South's colored citizens,
Mrs. Boyle, wife Of a Uni
versity of Virginia professor,
canvaSsed the university COM
munity for private opinion.
She found that roughly 80
per cent of the women ia
vored admission of Negroes
to the university's graduate
and professional schools. Lo-
cal and area student polls
confirmed this opinion.
Proceeding with faith and
optimism toward her fellow
Southerners, Mrs. Boyle came
to believe that the majority
of educated white people were
ready to throw off the yoke
of injustice to Negroes when
ever it was called to their at
tention.
PLAINLY needed here Is
only good leadership" she
thought. Doubtless it will
come forth shortly. the South
being noted for great
leaders"
Leadership Needed
Talking and working with
Negro leaders, she gained in
sight into their problems,
hopes and ambitions. For q
year and a half, she even
took a course in civil rights
and the n e eds of America's
largest minority. Her instruc-
tor was T. ]. Sellers, a for
mer public school teacher,
who was then editor Of the
local Negro newspaper.
She learned that in some
communities there were
white, but no colored high
schools, and Negro youn g
people had to commute as far
as 70 miles to and from
school each day.
Negro hospital wards were
limited, and when full, pa
tients were known to be
turned away although there
were vacant beds in white
wards. Occasionally, one even
died en- route to another hos
pital.
Such injustices slowly re-
arranged traditional patterns
of thought in Mrs. Boyle's
mind. A deeply religious. soft
spoken woman, she conclud-
ed, Behind the thinking OF
Southern whites is their as
sumption that Negroes are
basically different, when &C
tually they are merely
brought up in different Cir
cumstances from our own.
"In an underprivileged mi
nority, handicaps are propa-
gated because the people
don't have a chance to as
sociate with privilege q
groups. What is called racial
inferiority'," says Mrs. Boyle
"is a matter Of segregation
really"
"The differences are eco
nomic and in point Of view
There is as much gap be-
tween an educated white per-
son and a white hillbilly as
between a white homeowneI
and his colored chore boy. ]
think a good middle class
white Virginian is more like
a good middle class Negro
Virginian than he is like q
New Highlander.
Seldom Meet
1--WE confuse class differ,
ences with racial differ
ences. Cultured white South
erners and cultured Negroes
seldom meet"
Mrs. Boyle feels that me
groes are forced to move in q
narrow groove in the South,
They are restricted to lower
class jobs. regardless Of theil
abilities and degree Of intel
lect. They are subject TO GER
tin attitudes and feel thai
they will never escape, nc
matter what their achieve.
ments and individual merits
"It is not true" she as
serts, that Negroes are hap
pier in the South than ir
the North. A cloud hang