Greenberg Statement on Summary of LDF and NORI Activities on Even of Institute

    President 
Hon. Francis E. Rivet. 

PRESS RELEASE Director-Counsel 

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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 

Statement by Jack Greenberg, Director-Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., Americana Hotel, May 16, 1968, 1:00 p.m. 

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) under- 
took fundamental research and test actions during 1967 to improve 
the plight of hundreds of thousands of indigents. 

This report is issued on the eve of our Institute on the Uses 
of Law in Combatting Racism and Poverty, to be held here at the 
Americana on Friday, May 17. : 

Much of our law and law enforcement punishes, rather than protects, 
Poor people, a disproportionate number of whom are Negro. | 

On March 16, 1967 the Legal Defense Fund established its National | 
Office for the Rights of the Indigent (NORI) with a grant of $1 million 
from the Ford Foundation for three years' work. NORI provides 

research and test-case support to private and legal aid society 
lawyers serving poor people. 

WELFARE 

Local welfare departments commonly disobey federal regulations 
i when supervising federally supported assistance programs affecting 

Negro clients. 

Among test cases in this area, the LDF has asked a three-judge 
federal court to enjoin Georgia's "employable mother" policy. Under 
this, payments to Negro mothers stop when county officials decide 
that "suitable jobs"--such as cotton and pecan picking--are available. 
The work is not deemed suited to white welfare clients. 

Welfare departments often deny indigents their rights, but have 
sudden changes of heart when lawyers file suits to review their 

methods. 

The LDF has asked a three-judge federal court in Mississippi to 
forbid cut-off of welfare without a hearing. 

PROTECTING CONSUMERS 

—_. * In.48 states, finance companies are entitled to be paid in full 
x even if the merchandise they sell is defective and overpriced and 



Statement by Jack Greenberg 2 

even if salesmen were guilty of fraud. 

Landmark litigation was launched to forward the premise that 

finance companies should be liable for the misdeeds of stores to 

which they extend credit. 

In a typical case, a buyer was talked into buying a freezer for 

$1,200; the door-to-door salesman said it was part of a package plan 

for buying food at a discount, so the freezer would cost essentially 

nothing. 

The buyer cancelled his food order when he discovered that it 

did not supply enough food for his family, but he was stuck with his 

promise to keep paying for the freezer for three years. The suit 

seeks cancellation of the contract and $50,000 punitive damages. 

We are also attempting to obtain U.S. Supreme Court review of 

wage garnishment laws. 

HOUSING 

Some 2,300,000 low-rent project tenants had little redress of 

most injustices perpetrated by their public housing authorities 

until recently when the LDF brought legal actions to establish 

certain rights taken for granted by many other Americans. 

Two key cases challenge the powers of public housing authorities 

to evict tenants without giving either reasons or any hearing. 

In another case, one of our clients challenged the Georgia law 

requiring a tenant who fights eviction to post bond amounting to 

one year's rental. 

3 In another case, clients challenged evictions as punishment for 

alleged illegitimate births. 

Other litigation attacks excessive rents and leases which 

require signing away virtually all legal rights. 

THE POLICE 

The LDF continues to file suits seeking redress for Negroes 

abused by police. 

The LDF joined others in asking the Supreme Court to declare 

unconstitutional laws permitting police to "stop and frisk" citizens 

without probable cause. The LDF noted intense hatred of police in 

our inner cities, and the police fear and suspicion of Negroes. 

Police arguments for stop-and-frisk power reflect a battle psychology. 



“Statement by Jack Greenberg 3. 

EDUCATION 

Several years of LDF litigation culminated during 1967 when a 

panel of 12 Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals judges affirmed that 

court-ordered school desegregation plans must bring about actual 

integration. This enabled the LDF to reopen 175 school cases in the 

states comprising the Fifth Circuit aiming at bringing integration 

of these school systems up to the newly announced standards. 

A most promising development during the year was the U.S. 

Supreme Court decision to rule on the validity of "free choice,’ 

southern school desegregation plans which are attacked as resulting 

in only token integration. A decision is expected shortly. 



Statement by Jack Greenberg 

EMPLOYMENT 

The LDF, during 1967, had 40 equal employment cases 

in 9 states on its Docket. 

Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act created a 

federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. But the 

EEOC only has power to investigate and conciliate. The 

only real enforcement of the Act is by private lawsuits 

such as those filed by the Fund or by Justice Department 

law suits. So far the LDF has filed more erplegmens cases 

than the U. S. Government has filed in the federal courts. 

” Among the industrial and labor giants the LDF has 

sued are Avco, Cone Mills, H. K. Porter, International 

Paper, Kaiser Aluminum, Lorillard, Monsanto Chemical, 

Seaboard Coast Line, United Gas, U. S. Steel (three 

cases), Philip Morris Tobacco Co., Tobacco Workers Union, 

Aluminum Workers, Atomic Workers Union, Brotherhood of 

Railway Carmen, Electrical Workers, United Mine Workers, 

United Steelworkers, Alabama State Docks Department, and 

the Georgia State Employment Service in Atlanta. 

SUMMARY 

As the legal arm of the entire civil rights movement, 

the LDF, with its roster of 25 New York based lawyers and 

250 cooperating lawyers across the aang cover a wide 

range of activities. Execution of 58 men in San Quentin 

penitentiary's Death Row were stayed, as were executions 

of 51 men in Florida. In addition, the LDF is involved 

in cases of over 50 condemned men in Colorado, Georgia, 

Illinois, North and South Carolina and Washington. 



15 LDF cases in 1967 challenged all-white juries 

in 5 Southern States. 

The LDF and its National Office for the Rights of 

the Indigent won 6 key decisions in 1967 upholding 

citizen rights to freedom on bail while court procedures 

determine the merits of their cases. 

Our contribution income for 1967 was $2,054,216.57 

just $48,149.94 short of total expenses.