Supreme Court Orders Southern Schools to Speed Integration

Press Release
June 1, 1968

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Press Releases, Volume 5. Supreme Court Orders Southern Schools to Speed Integration, 1968. 92ca06ae-b892-ee11-be37-6045bddb811f. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/c7a31faf-b750-45df-b78c-2f363b61a1f8/supreme-court-orders-southern-schools-to-speed-integration. Accessed June 13, 2025.

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af uy We
President

Hon, Francis E. Rivers
egal efense und Jack Greenberg

Director, Public Relations NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC.
Jesse DeVore, Jr. 10 Columbus Circle. New York, N.Y. 10019 * JUdson 6-8397
NIGHT NUMBER 212-749.8487

FOR RELEASE
SATURDAY
June 1, 1968

SUPREME COURT ORDERS SOUTHERN
SCHOOLS TO SPEED INTEGRATION

Landmark Victory for LDF Attorneys

Entire South Affected

WASHINGTON---The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this week that school boards across the South may no longer use "freedom of choice" pupil assign- ment plans where and when other methods will bring about more speedy school integration.

The decision, won by attorneys of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), marks the first time the High Court has involved itself in the details of school desegregation plans to imple- ment the 1954 school desegregation decision.

Under “freedom of choice," each student is free to assign himself to any school in his district.

“This has become the pattern across the South," LDF attorneys state, "despite the fact that in many places assignment solely on geographic grounds would achieve more integration."

"The Supreme Court has now made it clear that the time for deliberate speed has expired," commented Jack Greenberg, LDF director- counsel,

He added that the LDF will immediately reopen “most of our 200 pending school desegregation cases across the South."

The Supreme Court ruled on LDP argued cases arising out of New Kent County, Va.; Jackson, Tenn.; and Gould, Arkansas.

However, the ruling affects all southern states which practice school segregation. Hence, LDF attorneys consider this decision the most important southern school integration development since 1955.

LDF attorneys have argued in federal district and appeals courts that "freedom of choice" places the burden on Negro children and their parents since they invariably were the ones to seek transfer.

Speaking for the High Court, which rules unanimous1 , dustice Brennan said, "The burden on a school board tcday is to come forward with a plan that promises realistically to work now."

=30=

NOTE: The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is a separate and distinct o: nization from the NAACP. Its correct desig- nation is NAACP Legal D. and Educational Furid, Inc., which is shortened to LOF.

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Supreme Court Orders Southern Schools to Speed Integration

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