Appeals Court School Ruling Provides New Platform for LDF Attorneys in South
Press Release
April 1, 1967

Cite this item
-
Press Releases, Volume 4. Appeals Court School Ruling Provides New Platform for LDF Attorneys in South, 1967. 368e05b2-b792-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/977f0531-e2f1-439c-b41d-785a18f42d52/appeals-court-school-ruling-provides-new-platform-for-ldf-attorneys-in-south. Accessed April 19, 2025.
Copied!
President Hon. Francis E. Rivers PRESS RELEASE Director-Counsel egal efense und Jack Greenberg Director, Public Relations NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC. Jesse DeVore, Jr. 10 Columbus Cireleé, New York, N.Y. 10019 * JUdson 6-8397 : NIGHT NUMBER 212-749-8487 4 FOR RELEASE SATURDAY April 1, 1967 APPEALS COURT SCHOOL RULING PROVIDES NEW PLATFORM FOR LDF ATTORNEYS IN SOUTH Greenberg Sees "Meaningful New Judicial Tools" NEW YORK---NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) this week concluded that it is now “in a position to bring about substantial school desegregation in the Deep South for the first time." LDF Director-Counsel Jack Greenberg based his observation on the decisive ruling this week by the twelve judges of the U.S. Fifth Cifcuit Court of Appeals. The 12-man Court seid that six southern states must integrate their public schools, from kindergarten up, at the start of the upcoming fall term, This ruling covers students, teachers, school transportation and school related activities. The’Appeals Court ruled 8 to 4, The Court said, in part: "School desegregation cases involve more than a dispute between certain Negro children and certain schools, "If Negroes are ever to enter the mainstream of American life, as school children they must have equal educational opportunities with white children." The states directly affected include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. The decision came in response to reargument of nine crucial schod desegregation cases before the 12 judges who sat in Jacksonville, Florida, on March 10, 1967. Six of these cases were brought by LDF attorneys. LDF lawyers are currently representing the interests of two million Negro children through 175 school suits in 13 states. "We will now move scores of these cases, which have been resting in lower courts for the past year, forward," Mr. Greenberg added, "This sweeping decision, considered in conjunction with the LDF victory before a three-judge federal court in Montgomery last week-- which ordered desegregation of 99 Alabama school Cree eee dt carer that our attorneys now have meaningful new judicial tools," Mr. Greenberg concluded. =30= che | ‘ E25