Legal Defense Fund Attacking Mississippi Jim Crow Schools

    PRESS RELEASE 

NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND 
TOCOLUMBUS CIRCLE + NEW YORK19,N.Y. © JUdson 6-8397 

DR. ALLAN KNIGHT CHALMERS JACK GREENBERG CONSTANCE BAKER MOTLEY 
President Director-Counsel Associate Counsel 

LEGAL DEFENSE FUND ATTACKING 
MISSISSIPPI JIM CROW SCHOOLS 

Evers' Children Among Plaintiffs 

HOUSTCN---The tide of school integration flowed this week toward the 
South's last outpost: Mississippi. 

Attorney Derrick Bell of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund asked 
U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals here to consider an early judg. 
ment in behalf of 63 Negro students seeking admission to presently 
all white schools in Jackson, Biloxi and Leake County, Mississippi, 

Mr. Bell argued that admission during the current school year 
would save Mississippi "from the summer of tension” that would 
inevitably arise should September be named target month. 

Ironically, Darrell Keneyatta and Reene Denise Evers, children 
of murdered NAACP Field Secretary Medgar Evers, led the list of 
Jackson plaintiffs, 

Also seeking desegregated education opportunity are Shirley, 
Verna and Thomas Bailey, whose father Samuel Bailey is chief plaintiff 
in the suit which could end jim crow public transportation in that 
state. 

The three school suits were filed in Mississippi Federal Court 
during March and June of last year by Jack Young and R. Jess Brown, 
cooperating attorneys of the Legal Defense Fund. 

These actions were later dismissed by a Mississippi district 
court judge who maintained that the Negro plaintiffs had not re- 
quested transfers in accordance with the State Pupil Placement law. 

Legal Defense Attorneys then moved to the Court of Appeals 
where Mr. Bell pointed out that Negro parents had not requested 
transfers because Mississippi schools are completely jim crow. 

Thus, even if their requests were granted, only their children 
would be effected. This would spell little progress for the Missis- 
sippi Negro community, 

Jack Greenberg, director-counsel of the Legal Defense Fund and 
Constance Baker Motley, associate-counsel, are of counsel in the 
cases, 

= a0Es 

DEFENSE FUND GETS 
A NEW YEAR'S GIFT 

NEW YORK---The Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic 
(Prince Hall) Shrine, started the new year with a $3,162.60 contri- 
bution to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, 

Charles Dargan, national director of the Prince Hall Masonic 
Legal Research and Education Fund for the Shriners said the annual 
gift is another expression of the concern of all branches of Prince 
Hall Masonry» - 

The presentation was made jointly to Jack Greenberg, director- 
counsel, Constance Baker Motley, associate counsel and Dr. John W. 

Davis, special director, teacher informationa and security, all of the 
Fund's staff, (more) 



Defense Fund Gets 
A New Year's Gift -2- 

Accompanying Mr. Dargan were the Honorable Noble, James Harold 
Johnston, grand master, Prince Hall Masons of New York; William C. 
Kilpatrick, Leon Berry, Alfred C. Fields, Kenneth A. Roane and 
Baxter F. Jackson, all Masonic leaders. 

= 30) = 

LEGAL DEFENSE FUND 
Be STILL GROWING 

NEW YORK---The NAACP Lezal Defense Fund continued its staff expansion 
this week with appoiitmeat of Charles Henry Jones, Jr., of Chicago, 
as an associate counsel. 

Announcement was made by Jack Greenberg, director-counsel of 
the Fund, who said that Attorney Jones is a product of the noted 
Chicago Firm of Rogers, Rogers, Strayhorn and Harth. 

The young attorney completed undergraduate study at the 
University of Chicago. He attended the College of Law of the Univer- 
sity of Illinois. 

Mr. Jones served on the Coordinating Council of Community 
Organizations which directs civil rights activities in Chicago. He 
hes also specialized in Negro voting problems as an associate editor 
of NEW UNIVERSITY THOUGHT MAGAZINE, a political science publication. 

- 30 =