Minneapolis spokesman., 1963-02-28

century of so-called freedom for us. Negro
citizens, still left an abysmal gap between the
democratic ideal of full racial equality and the
widespread practice of keeping the Negro "in
his place" But although the last IL months
failed to produce any sweeping changes to-
ward bringing ideal and practice in line, piece
meal racial advancements continued in many
major areas of American life.
Spectacular Brea1through
The most spectacular brealthrough Of the year
was the successful military-backed attack on die
hard Mississpprs color line in higher education that
eliminated in the revolt and the subsequent admis-
sion of James H. Meredith to the campus Of Ole
Miss. On the surface the racial gain Of enrolling
single Negro student in single school Of Southern
state appears insignificant But If viewed in the
light of Missssippis avowed over-our-dead bodies"
resistance and the federal governments precedent
setting action in crushing that resistance the enroll
ment can be chalked up a major victory for the
entire Negro race. Meanwhile, as Meredith continues
his lonely stand against the insults and threats of
his white fellow students, growing number Of SIM
ilarly courageous Negro students eagerly pre-
pairing to consolidate his accomplishment and to
seek admission to Ole Miss and other all-white
schools
Into white" Colleges
BY the end Of the year. there were more than
and universities in the South Texas colleges alone
absorbed more than half Of that number. While all
schools in Alabama and South Carolina braced them
selves against the inevitable change such former
segregation hodouts as Georgia State, Duke Uni
versity, the University Of Houston and Tulane Uni
versity quietly changed their policies to admit Ne
gro undergraduates for the first time. All told there
were 290 public and private institutions of higher
learning Including several formerly all-Negro
schools) in IT Southern and border states that have
officially dropped racial bars.
Step By Step Retreat
Similarly in Southern primary and secondary
public education Jim Crow continued his step-by-
step retreat At the beginning of last fall SO prev
iously allwhte Southern school districts conceded
to the creeping advance Of desegregation, thereby
bringing the total of token-integrated districts in
the region to 948-an increase Of 124 districts
1851 At least "a other districts which had admitted
Negroes in previous years. added more Negro pupils
to their rolls in accordance with voluntary or court
ordered one-grade-a-year desegregation plans.
The biggest single gain in the desegregaton
of Southern private primary and secondary schools
was made in New Orleans following Archbishop
Joseph F. Rummels long-awaited directive to in
tegrate all Roman Catholic schools in his archdio-
Under the directive, 100 Negro pupils en-
rolled in SO formerly segregated parochial schools
despite abortive effort by white racists to boy
colt the schools Only at Our Lady Of the Good Har
Dor School in suburban Buras where ex-communic-
ated racistpolitico Leander Prerez had made his
fuence- felt did a boycott succeed FnlloHing the
New Orleans example, Catholic elementary and high
schools in the Atlanta (Ga.) archdiocese accepted
IL Negro students last fall
In Prince Edward County Va. where U.S.
ordered desegregaton ground to a standstn In 1859
when local authorities closed all public schools
wh nd apda hnd
gated white private schools" the resulting dead
lock still prevails
With the exception Of defiant Mississippi, Ala
bama and South Carolina and several resistance
pockets such the in Virginia, there was
grudg1ng - If only token compliance with the
law Of the Land concerning free access to tax-sup
ported schools. Aside from the disturbances that
accompanied integration Of the University Of Miss
issippi and New Orleans Catholic schools SNAIL