NAACP Legal Defense Fund Wins Vital Albany, Georgia Victory
Press Release
August 5, 1963

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Press Releases, Volume 1. NAACP Legal Defense Fund Wins Vital Albany, Georgia Victory, 1963. b215cd7e-b492-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/f24600cf-add1-4382-bfc3-1502c55a79fd/naacp-legal-defense-fund-wins-vital-albany-georgia-victory. Accessed July 13, 2025.
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A TeD a x “DRESS RELEASE : cial: NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND TOCOLUMBUS CIRCLE + NEW YORK19,N.Y. © JUdson6-8397 DR. ALLAN KNIGHT CHALMERS JACK GREENBERG President Director-Counsel CONSTANCE BAKER MOTLEY Associate Counsel eg FOR RELEASE: Monday A.M., August 5, 1963 NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE FUND WINS VITAL ALBANY, GEORGIA VICTORY ALBANY, GA.--The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund today announced the first major breakthrough in the long-stymied racial crisis here. The U. S, Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, has ordered a lower court to issue an injunction against city officials here that will allow Negro citizens to enjoy many of the goals sought during months of peaceful demonstrations. Mrs. Constance Baker Motley, Legal Defense Fund Associate Counsel, who was chief counsel during the long proceedings, pointed 5 out that Albany officials have been busily selling the city's swim- ‘ ming pool facilities to private individuals. ‘ “We shall have to go back to court to test the validity of these sales, But the decision is clear that all public facilities sought to be desegregated by this suit must be open to Albany's Negro citi- "she said. zens, Albany flared into the nation's headlines during the summer of 1962. The Albany Movement was under the leadership of Dr. W. G. Anderson. Dr. Martin Luther King and the Southern Christian Leader- ship Conference also participated in the demonstrations. NAACP Legal Defense Fund attorneys stressed that Albany's Negro citizens sought: * the end of state enforced racial segregation in all public parks, libraries and city auditorium; * the end of city laws requiring segregation in taxicabs, theatres and on buses; “x the end of arrests for attempting to use public recreation, transportation, and library facilities on an integrated = basis. th on c , . Mrs. Motley, flanked by C, B, King of Albany and Donald L, Hollowell of Atlanta, pointed out that Dr. Anderson and,other leaders of the Albany Movement had met with the Mayor and suggested appoint- ment of a biracial committee to improve the situation before the demonstrations began. The Mayor never responded. Arguments of NAACP Legal Defense Fund attorneys were turned down after three hearings in the District Court on ground that the individual Negro plaintiffs were not segregated against personally while seeking use of public facilities. The District Court also reasoned that the named Negro plaintiffs were not representative of Albany Negroes in general. The U, S, Appeals Court disagreed and ordered the lower court to issue the injunction sought by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. ==30-= ag oe ae 1 S