Creeping Onward

School by school, counter by counter, bus by bus. integration continues to creep across the U.S. South. Recent advances:

sbWithout relying on the usual crutch of a direct federal court order, the Memphis school board voluntarily admitted 13 Negro children to first grades in four of its public schools. Fifty patrolmen stood watchfully with billy clubs at the ready but found nothing to do as "instant integration" took place without advance publicity. Only 25 white families pulled their children out of school, and such statements as that of nine-year-old Jerry McGregor were rare enough to be newsworthy. Said he as he stayed home: "I'd rather be dumb than go to school with them."

sbFollowing a similar strategy of not publicizing the event ahead of time, Atlanta's merchants, Negro leaders and city officials cooperated in smoothly integrating lunch counters in the city's department, drug and variety stores. Small groups of Negroes quietly slipped onto counter stools--and were served without protest. They are continuing to test nearly 180 counters in some 75 stores covered by a carefully negotiated agreement between white and Negro leaders.

sbAtlanta will also have a moderate mayor to succeed Moderate William Berry Hartsfield, 71, who is retiring after 24 years in office. The city's voters have rejected a segregationist candidate, chosen instead, by a landslide of 64,313 to 36,091, Ivan Allen Jr., 50, proprietor of the South's biggest office-supply firm.

sbBeginning next month, all interstate buses will carry signs with the legend: "Seating aboard this vehicle is without regard to race, color, creed or national origin." The signs will be displayed by order of the Interstate Commerce Commission, which, six years after declaring that segregated seating on interstate buses is illegal, finally decided to do something to stop it. The ICC issued orders to licensed common carriers barring them from maintaining such seating or using terminals where facilities are still segregated. Violations will bring a fine of $100 to $500.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.