Bell Statement on Miss. School Integration

    Our stepped up Mississippi school integration push seeks 

to counteract the drastic disparity between Negro and white 

education. Official Mississippi documents show that ninety 

per cent of the white children in rural Mississippi attend 

modern structured schools. On the other hand, eighty three 

per cent of all colored children, enrolled in school, are in 

Open county rural schools, the great majority of which are of 

the one or two teacher type so common in Mississippi for both 

races prior to 1910. 

1961-62 figures indicate that the following communities 

spent the listed amounts above the minimum per child required 

by state law. 

white Negro, 
Jackson $149.64 $106.37 

Leake County 48.85 17.37 

Biloxi 128.92 86.25 

Madison County 171.24 4.35 

Yazoo County 245.55 2.95 

Mississippi white children go to school longer than do 

their Negro peers, even though there are more Negroes of school 

age in the state. 

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Statement by Derrick Bell, assistant counsel 
NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Inc., Jackson, 
Mississippi, September 14, 1964 

Integration of 43 Negro youngsters into Jackson's public 

school system illustrates what the NAACP Legal Defense Fund 

defines as an important new development in the school integra- 

tion posture of the hard core south. 

On the whole, there has been more peaceful compliance this 

year -- 1964, than during any other since the 1954 decision. 

Here in Mississippi, Negro citizens are showing an 

awakened interest in the advantages of integrated education. 

Fund attorneys also see increased school integration in 

Mississippi shortly: 

*we will soon file suits in nine new communities. 

*Negroes, for the first time in memory, attempted to 
register in public schools in Canton and Meridian, 
before seeking legal assistance. 

*the Legal Defense Fund has increased funds allocated 
for Mississippi school integration suits. 

Ironically, the Jackson school case bears the official 

title: Darrell Kenyatta Evers vs. Jackson Municipal Separate 

School District, et al. 

The family of the martyred Medgar Evers, field secretary 

of the NAACP in Mississippi, has since moved to Claremont, Cal. 

Mrs. Evers today sent the following wire to Negro young- 

sters involved. It was addressed to NAACP Legal Defense Fund 

attorneys Derrick Bell, R. Jess Brown and Jack Young: 

Darrell Kenyatta and Reene Denise looked forward to 
joining their schoolmates in the historic integration 
of Jackson's public elementary schools. September 
14th, 1964 has proven a rewarding target date for many 
of the days, nights; months and years that their father 
labored so that more Mississippians would realize jus- 
tice, love, mercy and strive to walk humbly in the path 
of our maker. All Mississippi moved a little bit for- 
ward today and 43 Negro children are on their way to 
fuller participation in the mainstream of American life. 
Our loss has not been in vain. May God bless and keep 

you. ca 

Mrs. Myrlie Evers 

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