Thurgood Marshall's 1959 Report on Desegregation

    “PRESS RELEASE® 

NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND 
10 COLUMBUS CIRCLE 

DR. ALLAN KNIGHT CHALMERS 
President 

JUdson 6-8397 

THURGOOD MARSHALL 
Director-Counsel 

NEW YORK 19,N.Y. 

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December 31, 1959 

THURGOOD MARSHALL'S 1959 REPORT 
ON DESEGREGATION 

In an abbreviated report for the year 1959, Thurgood 

Marshall, Director-Counsel of the N.A.A.C.P. Legal Defense and 

Educational Fund, summed up the year's activities as a marked 

step forward toward ending enforced racial segregation. Of 

primary importance is the fact that, despite the best combined 

efforts of the southern states, the year showed the end of the 

program of "massive resistance" and a reluctant acceptance of 

at least token compliance in the more obstinant states. 

In Little Rock we saw the federal courts declare unconsti- 

tutional the latest efforts of Governor Faubus to keep public 

schools closed in opposition to integration. Little Rock also 

demonstrated that the religious and business leaders of the 

city, when pushed to the wall and faced with the choice of 

integration or no schools, would themselves choose token inte- 

gration and insist that the schools be reopened. Likewise, 

in areas of Virginia and other southern states, religious and 

business leaders have taken heart and are now planning to keep 

their schools open even in the face of integration. This sig- 

nificant movement seems to insure at least token integration 

in practically every southern state within the next year. 

Marshall pointed out further that neither Negro parents nor 

their lawyers would settle for mere token integration. They are 

determined that the southern states must comply with the Supreme 

Court's decision, which means integration in good faith through- 

out the school system. Therefore, the year of 1960 should see 

an increase in the tempo of school litigation testing both the 

stair-step plan of integrating grade by grade and the pupil 

assignment plan aimed at keeping integration at the barest minimum. 



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We also can expect the dying struggle in the truly recalci- 

trant areas to prevent any integration, . 

Marshall also noted the efforts of state legislative bodies, 

governors, attorneys general and even some state bar associations 

to prevent the N.A.A.C.P. Legal Defense and Educational Fund from 

continuing to render financial aid and legal services to Negro 

parents seeking to obtain their rights. The record during the 

past year shows almost conclusively that, despite the time and 

money needed to defend against such actions, we have been able to 

do that and at the same time continue to render aid to the Negro 

parents and othersseeking their rights. 

Marshall pointed out the litigation during the past year 

aimed at removing segregation in recreational facilities, eating 

facilities in bus terminals, train stations and airports, as well 

as cases such as the one in Greenville, South Carolina, to remove 

segregated waiting rooms in airports. These kinds of cases will, 

of course, be of continued interest in the forthcoming year. 

It was also stressed that the year 1959 saw a resurgence of 

requests for legal help in ending segregation in northern areas 

and it is expected in the year 1960 that there will be a stepped- 

up program to eliminate segregation in housing, education and 

other facilities in the North as well as the South. 

All in all, the most significant factor during the past year 

is that because of the sustained drive against segregated facili- 

ties we are getting more support from the general public than 

ever before. Each year it becomes clearer to the average American 

in the South that delay is proving too costly, that desegregation 

is inevitable, and that this is something he can work out rather 

than to follow will-o'-the-wisp schemes in the hope for some 

miracle to end the litigation. 

We have more cases in court today than ever before. We are 

receiving more requests for aid than ever before; and, with the 

renewed assurance of more integration and less governmentally 

imposed segregation year by year, we are fortunate in being able 

to continue at the heightened tempo. 

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