Defense Fund Challenges Segregation in Beaufort County, N.C. Schools
Press Release
February 24, 1966
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Press Releases, Volume 3. Defense Fund Challenges Segregation in Beaufort County, N.C. Schools, 1966. 4bff28cc-b692-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/abeebe66-9947-459e-8512-bfe288cd9f76/defense-fund-challenges-segregation-in-beaufort-county-nc-schools. Accessed December 30, 2025.
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10 Columbus Circle
New York, N.Y. 10019
JUdson 6-8397
NAACP
Legal Defense and Educational Fund
PRESS RELEASE
President : =
Hon. Francis E. Rivers
Director-Counsel FOR RELEASE
Jack Greenberg Thursday,
February 24, 1966
DEFENSE FUND CHALLENGES SEGREGATION
IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, N.C., SCHOOLS
Seeks to End Harassment of Negro Integrationists
NEW BERN, N.C,---NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund
attorneys today asked the Federal District Court here to order
desegregation of Beaufort County, N.C., schools.
The Civil Rights lawyers complained that 26 pupils, who
registered for desegregated classes under the school board's
"freedom of choice" plan last year were subjected to threats,
intimidations and harassment after the board made their names
public.
Twelve of the 26 applicants either withdrew their applications
for transfer, or dropped eres of school after assignment under the
pressure of harassment, the complaint said.
Four Negro students who dropped out of school because they
feared for their safety in the predominately white schools to
which they were assigned, were not allowed to transfer back to
Negro schools. because of a school board policy against such
transfers, according to the complaint.
The suit asks that "reasonable and appropriate provision" be
made for the four until conditions stated in the complaint are
corrected.
Today's complaint asked for preliminary and permanent in-
junctions to prevent the school board from divulging "without
legitimate reason" the names of any Negro student who seeks
enrollment in a school now attended by whites.
The suit, filed in behalf of 16 Negro pupils and their
parents, further asks:
* Reorganization of the school system to provide for
assignment of students to schools on the basis of nonracial,
geographic attendance zones.
* Complete desegregation of faculty and other school personnel.
* Assurance that reasonable steps will be taken to ensure that
every student enrolled or eligible for enrollment in any
school is enrolled or informed of his right to enroll with-
out threats, intimidations or other harassments,.
Assurance that adequate protection will be provided for
pupils assigned to racially mixed schools and parents of
pupils in integrated schools.
Legal Defense Fund attorneys involved in the case are Conrad
©. Pearson of Durham, J. Levonne Chambers of Charlotte, Director-
Counsel Jack Greenberg and Derrick A. Bell, Jr. of New York,
=20=
Jesse DeVore, Jr., Director of Public Information—Night Number 212 Riverside 9-8487 So