First Complaint Filed Under Title 6 of Civil Rights Act
Press Release
February 15, 1965

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Press Releases, Volume 2. First Complaint Filed Under Title 6 of Civil Rights Act, 1965. bb081ba9-b592-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/39b37309-e1ae-42ab-9dd5-0025efdcb678/first-complaint-filed-under-title-6-of-civil-rights-act. Accessed July 11, 2025.
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10 Columbus Circle New York, N.Y. 10019 JUdson 6-8397 NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund PRESS RELEASE President Dr. Allan Knight Chalmers Director-Counsel FOR RELEASE Jack Greenberg Monday Associate Countel February 15, 1965 Constance Baker Motley FIRST COMPLAINT FILED UNDER TITLE 6 OF CIVIL RIGHTS ACT Twelve Southern Hospitals Challenged WASHINGTON=-Announcement of the first complaint under Title VI of the new Civil Rights Act, against 12 hospitals in seven southern states was made here today. In a joint action, the NAACP and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund listed the racial discriminatory hospitals, six of which are in Arkansas, in a letter to Anthony J, Celebrezze, Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, An immediate investigation has been requested. Jack Greenberg, director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and J, Francis Pohlhaus, counsel for the NAACP Washington Bureau, brought the complaint. The hospitals in question all receive federal funds for public assistance or hospital construction programs, all administered by HEW. "This discrimination," Messers Greenberg and Pohlhaus say "takes the form of segregation of Negro patients and staff members from white patients and staff members in rooms, wards, restrooms, waiting rooms, cafeterias and other facilities...." Some of the hospitals segregate new born babies. Negroes are often given inferior facilities and in some cases, there have been attempts by hospital personnel to dissuade Negroes from requesting or using desegregated facilities. "We are informed," Messers Greenberg and Pohlhaus add, “that in some cases these practices continue despite the assurance of non-discrimination given by the hospitals in question to agencies of the Department of HEW," Under Title VI, HEW is expected to take affirmative measures to end racial discrimination in southern hospitals. However, if the hospitals refuse to comply, Title VI authorizes “the termination of federal financial assistance". Michael Meltsner, Legal Defense Fund assistant counsel indicated that one of the hospitals, the King's Daughters Hospital in Canton, Mississippi, had refused to permit a Negro to visit a white patient. At the Huntsville Memorial Hospital in Huntsville, Texas, all Negro patients, male and female, must share a single washroom. When the Negro section of the hospital is full, additional Negro patients are placed in the halls, even if there are empty beds in the white section. (more) Jesse DeVore, Jr., Director of Public Information—Night Number 212 Riverside 9-8487 So The full«text of Messrs, Greenberg and Pohlhaus' letter: The Honorable Anthony J, Celebrezze Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare Department of Health, Education, and Welfare Washington, D. C. Sir: We have received complaints from a number of persons who believe themselves, and Negroes as a class, subject to racial discrimination at hospitals receiving funds from the federal gov- ernment under public assistance or hospital construction programs administered by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. : This discrimination takes the form of segregation of Negro and staff members from white patients and staff members in tients "OOMmS, wards, restrooms, waiting rooms, cafeterias, provision of inferior facilities for Negroes vices, and attempts by hospital personnel to requesting or using desegregated facilities. and other facilities, using hospital Ser- dissuade Negroes from We are informed that in some cases these practices continue despite the assurance of nondiscrimination given by the hospitals in question to agencies of the Department. We request, therefore, that appropriate action be taken to ‘ensure immediate compliance with the nondiscrimination provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Departmental regu- lations on the part of the following hospitals: _» Columbus County Hospital--Whiteville, North Carolina _ Dixie Hospital~-Hampton, Virginia Huntsville Memorial Hospital--Huntsville, Texas Jefferson County Hospital--Pine Bluff, Arkansas Flagler Hospital--St. Augustine, Florida Hempstead Memorial Hospital--Hope, Arkansas City-County Hospital--Hope, Arkansas Crittenden Memorial Hospital--West Memphis, Arkansas Chickasawba Hospital--Blythville, Arkansas Mississippi County Hospital--Blythville, Arkansas King's Daughters Hospital--Canton, Mississippi Baton Rouge General Hospital--Baton Rouge, Louisiana As we represent individuals subject to discrimination, we desire to receive notice of such action as is taken pursuant to this request as well as the opportunity to participate in hearings and other proceedings held to effect full compliance. We hope that your Department will take speedy action to end misuse of federal funds by these medical facilities. * Sincerely yours, ' Jack Greenberg & Director-Counsel Ps NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. cs w o s J. Francis Pohlhaus Counsel, Washington Bureau National Association for the Advancement of Colored People £ TE ahe.