Defense Fund Challenges Segregation in Beaufort County, N.C. Schools
Press Release
February 24, 1966

Cite this item
-
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 April 06, 2025.
Copied!
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