Meltsner Remarks on Summer FEP Project

    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 

Remarks by Michael Meltsner, assistant counsel 
NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc., 
Thursday morning, July lst 11A™M 

The NAACP Legal Defense Fund is now sponsoring a summer Fair 

Employment Practice Project in 10 southern states in an attempt to 

educate local southern Negro community leaders about the tools 

available for winning better jobs for Negro citizens under Title VII 

of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, We have assigned law students Fe 

each state for this purpose. 

Title VII goes into effect tomorrow, exactly one year after 

passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The delay was designed to 

give employers an opportunity to prepare for change. 

The new law states that it is now unlawful for an employer, 

on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex or national origins 

to refuse to hire or to discharge or otherwise discriminate against 

any individual with respect to compensation, terms, conditions or 

privileges of employment or to limit, segregate or classify on such 

grounds, 

An employment agency is forbidden to refer for employment on 

these grounds or to classify or to refuse to refer on such a basis, 

Labor organizations are forbidden to deny membership or other- 

wise discriminate in any way which would affect adversely an 

individual's status as an employee or applicant for employment. 

mi 
Jesse DeVore, Jr., Director of Public Information—Night Number 212 Winoze) 9.8487 So @ 



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Remarks by Michael Meltsner, assistant counsel 
NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc., ~ 
Thursday morning, July lst ll AM 

This project hopes to stimulate local leadership and 
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Been Freinina. Our law students are presently meeting with 
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local Negro leaders, speaking before church, business and social 
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“ groups, going to local news media----all in an attempt to educate © 

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} the Negro community to the potential of Title VII. 

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i Many are working with local NAACP branches, but they are also 
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working with all the major national civil rights groups and many 

local civic organizations, 

4 They are also working closely with attorneys of the Legal 

Defense Fund. The students are concentrating mainly in large 

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southern cities, but will go wherever there are patterns of 

Eide tbination. 

The second phase of the summer employment project calls for 

establishment of permanent Fair Employment Committees throughout 

the south----to "watch-dog" employment progress on a year ‘coun 

basis. 

j We intend to continue to advise and counsel these committees 

as to the latest developments in the implementation of Title VII 

Bice: the summer, 

These committees keep abreast of the local progress; seeking 

out available Negro talent, form, skills banks and, direct Negroes 

toward new employment opportunities. 

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Remarks by Michael Meltsner, assistant counsel 
NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc., 
Thursday morning, July lst 11 AM 

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If Negro employees meet discrimination from employers, unions : 

or employment agencies, they will be advised by these committees of © 
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their rights to file complaints of discrimination (under Title VII 

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of the Civil Rights Act of 1964) with the United States Equal 

Employment Opportunity Commission. 

If the Commission is unable to obtain — 

(it only has thespower to conciliate) within 30 days, the Legal ¢ Pond : 

Defense Fund will be prepared to file suit on behalf of the Negro 

employee. 

- Our puget are working in North and South Carolina, Georgia, © 

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Virginii i Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, Tennessee. and 

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Arkansas. 

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EDITOR'S NOTE: "The NAACP Leaal Defense Fund" is not the NAACP. 

=e . The two were separated in 1939 and now function 
in close cooperation as two separate entities. 

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