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COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMISSION 1203 City Hall Atlanta, Georgia Special Meeting of the Community Relations Commission, September 14, 1967, City Hall. ' Members Present: Mr. Irving K. Kaler,,, Chairman Rev. Samuel. Wi2liams, 1st Vice-Chairman Miss Helen Bullard, 2nd Vice-Chairman Mrs. Fred W. Patterson, 5 £:! c,retary Mrs. Eliza K. Paschall:, Executive Dire·c·tor·. Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan Mr. Robert Dobbs Mr. Jack Sel-ls Rabbi Jacob M. Rothchild Mr. Hamiltort~D6ugi~s, Jr. t ·'.:: Dr. Robert E. Lee · Mr. R. Byron Attridge "Mr. T. M. Alexander, . Sr. Mrs. · Sara Baker Mr. M. O. Ryan.. I Mr. James Pilcher, 'Associate Clty Attorney Ann Moses, Ex.ecutive Secretary to the Mayor Alderman John M~ Flanigen Alderman G. Everett Millican were present. Mrs. . ·:~· ....,. t Mr. Kaler opened the meeting with a statement that the Commission had called the meeting acting under the Ordinance. which authorizes the Commission to "act as conciliator"; that the Commission· had "intervened prior to the c1;isis" .~nd a~ this time was calling upon responsible persons and those "whose testimony is pertinent". He announced that members of the Board of Education had been requested to attend, and recogn i zed Mr. Tom McWhirter, Assistant School Board Attorney, Mr. McWhirter said that the 9chool Bdard was in ' session at the time ; ~ta special mee t ing called previous ly for a special personnel matter, that they regretted the breakdown in communicati on. Rev. Will iams asked about 1962 and 196 5 bond i ssues and promises to .Vine Ci ty. Archi bi s ho p H~llina ~ sai d t ha t the · t al~ abou t "do~ble ses s ion sounds "like doubl e t a lk". · Sena tor. S.. .: lls an nounced t hat he was r eques ti ng t he legis,l. a tive couns el to dra w a bill. c·alling_ for the el ection of the Atlan t a ·s _c hool s upe ri ntend.ant. The following pers on s spoke: ·r Rev. Elroy Embry: "Y es terday we went to Dr. Letson's offi ce , a sked f or a meet ing wi th the Boa r d, we r e t ol d onl y two me thods for c alling a , mee t i ng - by Pr eside nt Cook or ma jority of t he Boa r d. We asked him to c ontact memb.~ t s of the Boa rd, he s aid, he didn't know if he could con tact them. •:, ·. Boa r d , Dr. Letson need to know t hey a r e working for us . Mr. Robe rt E. Baldwin : "Took ~ight da ys t o ge t a ppoint me nt with Boa rd, kn e w t e n yea rs ago s chool s ov e rcrowded. When chiid gets off a t 12, tha t' s a half day. If I work till 12, get paid for½ day . Unl ess Bo a rd acts , thi s i s going to hurt whit e children too. Un educat ed peopl e l ead to poverty . It has helped to have thits meeting, Turner High has bf'len two week s \i&,ithout books . �Tl It Page 2 Minutes of Special Meeting, September 14, 1967i ' , ' ... Rev. Amos Holmes: "We elicit your support for our requests; during 1959-60 asked Board to face problems, urged against token assignments; this has been taking place since 1960; patience has a right to be exhausted; we want to be reasonable, but the Board demonstrates that rising radicalism might be justified. If Atlanta faces riot, could happen on this issue. ,Never. seen anything that has unified people so. Simplest thing Board c.en do is to meet". Miss Helen Bullard: Rev. Amos Holmes: "Is that the p~iority, failure of Board -to meet"? ".Not just mee;t but that is IJlOs.t · c,ru~ial ~ • . Archbishop Paul J . Hallina~: "In ~omplete agreement, this is- no time for ~elay. If we can assure .you of a meeting .tonight, is the~~ enough confidence .to withhold action"? n Rev. Amos Holmes: waited". "If we had been given assurance the other night, would have Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan: "Have asked for a meeting, a sked citizen~ to withhold taking action until Commission has exhausted all means". Rev. Amos Holmes: "Not here to put Commission between us and the Board; to see if Commission will act .!::!i!h us. Board .. should be willing to commit themselves to a certain case. Rev. Samuel Williams: Rev. Amos Holmes: "What do you really expect"? "Eve~y request could be met in 24 hours". Archbishop Pa ul J . Hallinan : Rev. Amos Holmes: "Commission has much a t stake". "A fter Dixie Hills, you reported fai_r1y". Ra bbi Jacob M. Rothschild: "What would you accept as a compromise"? Rev. Amos Holmes: "In a conference with leaders, we would respond". Mr. Robert Dobbs : "Want to speak about priorties, for mother of eight ~hildren, who goes to Buckhead and leaves he re c hildren at home to get themselves to school. Dr. Tate asked to correct this. Board knows the problem of bonding, should be leading fight to get this changed, have Board members who never visit schools". Mr. T. M. Alexander, Sr.: "Consequential damage can disrupt the whole town. When children are involved, parents are not patient; this can disrupt the community, consequenc es must rest on their shoulders~. Rev. Joe Boone: "Here representing my daughter, 79 in class, 2 teachers; have worked with Breadbasket, got Regency and others to open jobs, can 't find qualified people, people have to "limp your way in"; got to tell Letso~, Allen people not satisfied; tired of policies; no white pupils at Agnes Jones, whites at Harris Homes go to another school; Whites at Harris _Homes go to Brownp _Negroes to Washington. You all wouldn't have had this meeting without what happened at the Board meeting". �Page 3 Minutes of Special Meeting, September 14, 1967 Rev. Samuel Williams: "Commission did meet with Letson~. Mr. T. M. Alexander, Sr.: "Commission was meeting Monday night, very time of your meeting with Board, voted to meet with Board~; Mrs. Dorothy Bolden: "Have three girls at Washington High, have to leave home in the dark, not going to put my girls out in street at that hour". Rev. Howard Creecy, asked Rev. Williams to read the demands: copy attach~d Rev. Creecy: "We have been psychologically barred; want to balance the schools; we did not force our way into Letson's office". Mr. Robert Bay~es and Rev. Ward also spoke, emphasizing the point that if "we must have burdens, we (Negroes & Whites) should bear them equally". Mr. Kaler asked Mr. Attridge to r;Jti to the meeting of the School Board and ask if any member of the Board or the staff would come to the meeting, and to request a meeting with -the Board within 48 hours. Mr. Attridge returned to say that he had conveyed the request; answer was that "last evening the Board prowised the Summit-Leadership Conference an answer in two weeks; will go into Executive Session to consider points and will contact their leadership; their attorney will contact the chairman; need time to consider the points". Mr. Alexander said, "we asked not to meet to hear them restate their position, but to discuss matters with them". Archbishop Hallinan moved following resolution, which was passed: "The Community Relations Commission, appointed by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen of Atlanta and representative of the comm~nity of Atlanta is convinced that the Board of Education fails to grasp the urgency of this education situation, and again the Commission urgently requests that a meeting be held be tween the Commis-· sion, the Board of Education and the Superintendent, within 48 hours ( 5:30 p.m. Saturday, September 16) 11 • (Message was telegraphed to President of the Board Ed S. Cook immediately followin g the meeting, with copies sent to members of the Board and to Dr. Letson)". �