By Rev. Eugene Carson Blake President, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America
Press Release
November 30, 1955

Cite this item
-
Press Releases, Loose Pages. By Rev. Eugene Carson Blake President, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America, 1955. 49633f2d-bc92-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/b002ee5b-d302-4b34-81c0-96aa7ad5930e/by-rev-eugene-carson-blake-president-national-council-of-the-churches-of-christ-in-the-united-states-of-america. Accessed April 22, 2025.
Copied!
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 -2- 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. =30- [Editor's Notet Contributions made to theNAACP Legal Defense Fund g - can be deducted from your income tax. ]