Fund Seeks Reinstatement of Mississippi Children Who Whore Freedom Buttons

    10 Columbus Circle 

New York, N.Y. 10019 “ay 
JUdson 6-8397 - 

Legal Defense and Educational Fund 
PRESS RELEASE 
President FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Dr. Allan Knight Chalmers Saturday, 
Director-Counsel April 3, 1965 

Jack Greenberg 

FUND SEEKS REINSTAT EMENT 
OF MISSISSIPPI CHILDREN 
WHO WORE FREEDOM BUTTONS 

Record Number Also Ask Desegregation of Rural Schools 

JACKSON, MISS.--The NAACP Legal Defense Fund this week asked the 

Federal Court here to order the reinstatement of about 300 Negro 

students who were suspended from their Issaquena County schools two 

months ago for wearing freedom buttons. 

The buttons were alledgedly "disturbing the school." 

In the same suit, the Legal Defense Fund sought desegregation 

of all schools in Issaquena and Sharkey Counties, which share 

certain facilities, 

The suit was filed on behalf of the largest number of children- 

198--ever to join in such an action. 

This large number reflects a rapidly growing concern on the 

part of Mississippi Negroes for integrated education. According to 

local observers, the freedom button issue awakened many parents to 

the need for remedying the injustices of the present situation. 

The students began wearing freedom buttons on January 29, 

After two days of warnings, the suspensions began. Despite repeated 

meetings with school officials, efforts by parents to have their 

children readmitted ended in failure. 

Legal Defense Fund lawyers pointed out that at no time was 

any evidence offered that the freedom buttons actually caused any 

disturbance. The suit asks that the court order the children 

readmitted with permission to wear the buttons. 

The case is reminiscent of the suspension of about 3000 Negro 

pupils by Brimingham school officials in 1963, following racial 

demonstrations there, Legal Defense Fund efforts secured their 

prompt reinstatement, 

(more) 

Jesse DeVore, Jr., Director of Public ‘ion—Night Number 212 RI 9-8487 Se 



Fund Seeks Reinstatement -2- April 3, 1965 

Of Mississippi Children ws 

Who Wore Freedom Buttons 

In their complaint today, the Legal Defense Fund asked the 

Court to enjoin the school boards of both counties from: 3 

**Operating compulsory bi-racial school systems; 

**Maintaining school zones on the basis of race; 

**Assigning pupils, teachers and other professiona 

personnel on the basis of race; 

**Approving budgets, construction contracts, and progra 

¥ 
designed to perpetuate or support segregated schools. 

oy 

**Refusing to admit those Negroes who so desire to the 

nearest "white" school they are eligible to attend in 

; § 
the coming fall. i 4 

The Legal Defense Fund lawyers pointed out further that the ee 
ty 

Nae 
present "Negro" schools are vastly inferior to the "white" schools. 

"Negroes" have weaker programs, less adequate facilities, x 

larger classes, less trained and less paid teachers, a lower i 

teacher-pupil ratio, and lower expenditures per child. , yar 

As a result of repeated Legal Defense Fund efforts, integration 

came to Mississippi public schools for the first time in 1964, as 

Negro first-graders went to previously all-white schools in Jackson, 

Biloxi and Leake County. 

Legal Defense Fund attorneys in this case are Jack H. Young 

and Carsie A, Hall of Jackson; and Director-Counsel Jack Greenberg, 

Derrick A. Bell, Jr., and Melvyn Zarr of New York, 

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