Memo in Support of Motion for Planning
Working File
January 1, 1973

3 pages
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Case Files, Milliken Hardbacks. Memo in Support of Motion for Planning, 1973. 7a6b1620-54e9-ef11-a730-7c1e5247dfc0. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/000f7674-530c-4dc2-bd8b-38322f49f631/memo-in-support-of-motion-for-planning. Accessed July 05, 2025.
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN SOUTHERN DIVISION ) RONALD BRADLEY, et al., ) ) Plaintiffs, ) ) v. ) ) WILLIAM G. MILLIKEN, ) ) Defendants, ) )and ) ) DENISE MAGDOWSKI, ) ) Defendants- ) Intervenors, ) ) and ) ) ALLEN PARK, et al., ) ) Defendants- ) Intervenors, ) ) and j KERRY GREEN, et al., ) ) Defendants- ) Intervenors, ) - ) and ) ) WAYNE COUNTY INTERMEDIATE ) SCHOOL DISTRICT, et al., ) ) Added Defendants. ) ........... ) MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF MOTION TO REQUIRE PLANNING TO PROCEED 1. "Delay is no longer tolerable" in fashioning and implementing an effective plan for the desegregation of the Detroit public schools." Bradley v. Milliken, ____F.2d____ (Nos. 72-1809 - 72-1814, June 12, 1973 en banc) Slip Op. 71. 2. "The panel appointed by the District Court is authorized to proceed with its studies and planning under the direction of the District Court. Pending further orders of the District Court or this Court, the defendants and school districts involved will continue to supply administrative and staff assistance to the panel upon its request. Until # further order of the court, the reasonable costs incurred by the panel will be paid as provided by the District Court’s order of June 14, 1972" Ibid. at 69. 3. The District Court’s Order of June 14, 1972 provides in pertinent part: ’’The parties, their agents, employees, successors and all others having actual notice of this Order shall cooperate fully with the panel in their assigned mission including, but not limited to, the provision of data and reasonable full and part-time assistance as requested by the panel....All reasonable costs incurred by the panel shall be borne by the State Defendants; provided, however, that staff assistance or other services provided by any school district, its employees or agents shall be without charge and the cost thereof shall be borne by such school district.” Order for Development of Plan of Desegregation, June 14, 1972, Part I.C., aff’d in pertinent part, Ibid, at 69. 4. The panel and the State Superintendent submitted reports on July 24, July 29, and August 31, 1972. The views and suggestions of several of the parties were made known to the panel and the Court by responses filed in September; similar opportunity can be provided to all additional parties without delay or inconvenience. Guidelines for further planning, however, are set forth in full in Part VIII of the Opinion of the Court of Appeals in Bradley v. Milliken (Nos. 72-1809 - 72-1814, June 12, 1973 en banc) Slip Op. 70-80. 5. Planning should proceed immediately so that full interim and/or final plans of desegregation— and any alternatives and objections— may be before the Court and the parties to the end that all the parties may have a full opportunity to be heard on all relevant issues and an effective plan for the desegregation of the Detroit public schools can be implemented at the earliest practicable date. 6. On the b asis of the Court’s prior findings of illegal school segregation, the obligation of defendants is to adopt and implement a sound and practicable plan of desegregation that promises realistically to achieve now - p and hereafter the greatest possible degree of actual school desegregation taking into account the practicalities of the situation and to substitute for theJblack schools and white a r o w t-fW schools found/just schools now and hereafter. E.g., Green v. — —---ty. Sch°01 ♦ ■» 391 U.S. 430; Swann v, Charlotte-Mecklenberg — of_ Ed. , 402 U.S. 1; Davis v, Bd. of School Commissioners, 402 U.S. 33; Bradley v. Milliken, supra, Slip Op. In view of the circumstances of this case, however, state defendants bear the initial burden of going forward with proof. 7. The schedule and procedure set forth in the attached proposed order permit the Court and the parties to so proceed, and the proposed order provides a fair and reasonable method for the Court and the parties to proceed as set forth in the opinion, rulings and remand of the Court of Appeals of June 12, 1973. Slip Op. 67-70. 8. "[T]he legislature of the State of Michigan has power to provide a complete remedy for the unconstitutional segregation disclosed in this record. It, too, has responsibility for following the great mandates of the United States Constitution. If, however, the legislature fails to act or if it acts in a manner inconsistent with the expeditious and efficient elimination of the unconstitutional practices and conditions described in this opinion, the District Court shall proceed to fashion such a remedy, including an interim remedy, if found to be necessary, as it shall determine to be appropriate within the guidelines of this opinion.11 Ibid. at 68. The proposed schedule gives the legislature the opportunity to act and is subject to alteration to accomodate appropriate action by the legislature. See Slip Op. Respectfully submitted, LOUIS R. LUCAS WILLIAM E. CALDWELL Ratner, Sugermon & Lucas 525 Commerce Title Bldg. Memphis, Tennessee NATHANIEL JONES General Counsel N.A.A.C.P. 1790 Broadway New York, New York 10019 PAUL R. DIMOND 906 Rose Avenue Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104 313-769-8899 J. HAROLD FLANNERY ROBERT PRESSMAN Center for Law & Education 61 Kirkland St. Cambridge, Mass. 02138 JACK GREENBERG NORMAN J. CHACHKIN 10 Columbus Circle, New York, N.Y. 3