By Rev. Eugene Carson Blake President, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America

    PRESS RELEASE® @ Wo 

NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND 
107 WEST 43 STREET «© NEW YORK 36, N. Y. © JUdson 6-8397 

THURGOOD MARSHALL ARTHUR B. SPINGARN oe lieder ond Cental 
Lines ROBERT L. CARTER ROY WILKINS Assikant Counsel Secretary 

ARNOLD de MILLE 
Press Relations 

ALLAN KNIGHT CHALMERS. 
Treasurer 

FOR RELEASE: Upon Receipt 

NOTE TO EDITOR: This is another in a series of articles 
written by outstanding leaders in American 
life supporting the NAACP Legal Defense and 
Educational Fund, Inc. in its efforts to 
obtain through the courts full citizenship 
and "equal justice under law" for all Negro 
Americans, 

REV, HUGmE CARSON BLAKE 
President, National Council of the 

Churches of Christ in the United States of America 

In general, there are two ways in which discrimination against 

racial or cultural groups is successfully attacked. One way is the 

educational process by which the attitudes of people are changed, 

leading ultimately to the enactment of fairer laws and the enforce- 

ment of existing laws. The other way is by court action to win a 

right that has been denied extra legally. 

Those who are interested in seeing justice done to racial or 

cultural groups dare not neglect either of these two ways of attack 

against discrimination. Public opinion is ineffective unless it is 

enforced in individual court cases. On the other hand, a victory in 
a court case may be rendered ineffectual by a hostile community 

opinion, 

In general, the educational process is being successfully carried 

on by political, social and religious bodies in the United States. The 

theory of non-discrimination has never been more generally held and 
applauded than it is today. 

But all must be conscious of the fact that illegal discrimination 

on account of race does in fact exist in the whole nation, including 

those parts of the United States where in general public opinion is 

favorable to non-discrimination, Usually the victims of racial dis- 

crimination do not have sufficient money to press for their legal rights 

in the courts. It is for this reason that the NAACP Legal Defense and 

Educational Fund is such an important part of the machinery needed to 



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establish the civil rights of all racial groups in the United States. 

If the fund had not existed and been financially supported, it is not 

likely that the clear Supreme Court decisions of May 17, 195, and 

November 7, 1955, ending legal segregation in the nation's public 

schools and parks would have been secured. 

It is quite certain that the financial support of the Legal 

Defense and ducational Fund must be continued if these decisions are 

to be implemented in American life. 

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[Editor's Notet Contributions made to theNAACP Legal Defense Fund g 
- can be deducted from your income tax. ]