School Desegregation Plan Approved in Norfolk, VA

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Press Releases, Volume 3. School Desegregation Plan Approved in Norfolk, VA, 1966. f85e50d8-b692-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/3bd902fa-700e-4b1c-8ae2-6d45aba95a84/school-desegregation-plan-approved-in-norfolk-va. Accessed October 27, 2025.

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    10 Columbus Circle 
New York, N.Y. 10019 
JUdson 6-8397 

NAACP 

Legal Defense and Educational Fund. 
PRESS RELEASE 

fares Francis E. Rivers 
Director-Counsel FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Jack Greenberg TUESDAY, March 22, 1966 

SCHOOL DESEGREGATION PLAN 
APPROVED IN NORFOLK, VA. 

Settlement Ends Ten Years of Litigation 

NORFOLK, VA.--After more than 10 years of litigation by attorneys 

for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, a plan for the 

desegregation of Norfolk public schools was approved last week. 

The plan, worked out among lawyers for the Legal Defense 

Fund and the U.S. Department of Justice, which recently inter- 

vened in behalf of the plaintiffs, and the Norflok School Board, 

was approved by Federal District Judge Walter E, Hoffman, _ 

Legal Defense Fund Director-Counsel Jack Greenberg. ¢alled 

the settlement "an encouraging example of what can be accomplish- 

ed if the parties to a school desegregation suit realistically 

face up to the issue and meet to settle their differences," 

The plan takes effect in the 1966-67 school year, It pro- 

vides for complete integration of faculty and administrative 

personnel, and divides the city into non-racial school attendance 

zones for pupils, 

The litigation began a decade ago with a Legal Defense Fund 

suit in behalf of 96 Negro adults and school children. 

Norfolk closed its schools in the fall of 1958 in the face 

of a federal court desegregation order. The schools reopened in 

February, 1959, with 17 Negroes enrolled in desegregated classes. 

Since.then, there has been token integration. 

Mr. Greenberg said, " We are particularly gratified by the 

pledge of the superintendent of schools not only to recruit and 

assign teachers and administrative personnel without regard to 

race, but to take affirmative action to ensure integrated 

“faculties in all Norfolk schools, 
Ros 

more 

Jesse DeVore, Jr., Director of Public Information—Night Number 212 Riverside 9-8487 



SCHOOL DESEGREGATION PLAN FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
APPROVED IN NORFOLK, VA, -2- TUESDAY, March 22, 1966 

“By establishing a system of non-racial school attendance 

zones, the school board is providing a real opportunity for all 

the city's children--Negro and white--to enjoy the benefits of 

desegregated education, 

"More than 10 years of litigation of this suit in the 

Federal District Court and Circuit Court of Appeals has been an 

expensive -anch time-consuming burden on the NAACP Legal Defense 

Fond and #he..Ci ty, of | Norfolk. 

"We hope the. outcome of thts case will set an example for 

the other 180 comminitiad in which the Legal Defense Fund has 

school desegregation suits pencincr! 

Legal Defense Fund attorneys participating in the case were 

Henry Marsh and S.W, Tucker of Richmond; Victor Ashe and 

J, Hugo Madison of Norfolk and Associate Counsel James Me 

Nabrit, III of New York. 

- 30 -

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School Desegregation Plan Approved in Norfolk, VA

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