Defense Fund Triumphs in Memphis School Case
Press Release
June 16, 1964

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Press Releases, Volume 1. Defense Fund Triumphs in Memphis School Case, 1964. fa0453f2-b492-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/ca8aca4d-5b23-4940-9709-e635ac0eb73c/defense-fund-triumphs-in-memphis-school-case. Accessed August 19, 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 Dr. Allan Knight Chalmers Director-Counsel Jack Greenberg ‘y June 16, 1964 Associate Counsel Constance Baker Motley DEFENSE FUND TRIUMPHS IN MEMPHIS SCHOOL CASE % MEMPHIS, TENN,-- The school desgregation, plan for integrating here last week. The court acted board of education was instructed to speed to redraw zoning lines and to consider a teaching staffs by a Sixth Circuit court on an appeal by the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Struck down was the board's previous desegregation plan, under which integration would not have reached all grades until after 1970. The new ruling requires that all elementary schools be integrated this September, junior high schools in 1965, and senior high schools in 1966. Defense Fund attorneys had pointed out that as of this year, only 294 of the 50,953 Negro youngsters in Memphis attended school with the 54,684 white students. Desegregation began with 12 students in 1961, after a year and a half of litigation by the Legal Defense Fund. The court further ordered that new school zones be set up. Fund lawyers had argued that when the board had done away with dual zone lines (separate maps applied to the two races), it had formed new zones by irregular lines or by gerrymandering, thus maintaining a high degree of segregation. Two other arguments made by the Defense Fund were heeded by the court. In outlawing the board's minority transfer plan, the judges ruled that the plan was designed to perpetuate segregation by allowing pupils to switch from bi-racial schools. (more) Jesse DeVore, Jr., Director of Public Information—Night Number 212 Riverside 9-8487 Defense Fund Triumphs -2- June 16, 1964 in Memphis School Case In poor ton; the court cited its own decision in a case preiget iy the Legal Defense | Fund against the Chattanooga Board of E ingetion, in ‘which it Store that "assignment of teachers by race may impair the students' rights to an education free from any consideration of race." The judges asked the federal district judge to determine whether the Memphis Board should submit a Arguing the case for the Legal Defense Fund was Assistant * Counsel Derrick A. Bell. He was joined ia the action by Fund Director-Counsel Gack Greenberg and negéelate Counsel Constance ‘ York, and Fund cppenating attorneys R.B,