1961 US Commission on Civil Rights Report Book 2 - University of ...

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education has announced the
transfer of 14 colored students to formerly white schools in September
<strong>1961</strong>; in 1960-61 only one was granted. 192b
Although on July 20, <strong>1961</strong>, a Federal court ordered the Durham
City Board of Education to reconsider the applications for transfer of
133 Negro plaintiffs and to render its decision on each application "on
definite criteria and standards applicable to white and Negro children
alike," 192c less than 10 were granted by the board. 192 * At the date of
writing the board's report to the court on each application was not
available. In addition to the 133 applications referred to it by the court,
the board has acted on 135 new applications received and denied all
of them. All but six were denied on the ground that they were submitted
on "unauthorized" forms. The <strong>Commission</strong> is informed that
the "unauthorized" forms were exact copies of the authorized forms
prepared by Negro leaders for parents who had not been able to secure
board forms. Six on official forms were denied because there was no
geographical reason for reassignment. 1928 Thus, it appears that there
will be very little expansion of desegregation in Durham this year unless
the Federal court overrules the local board as to applications reconsidered
by its order.
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