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 October 31, 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

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Defense Fund Challenges Segregation in Beaufort County, N.C. Schools

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