Description

Statement of Virgil Blossom regarding Daisy Bates and the integration of Central High School in 1957. March 14, 1956 STATEMENT OF VIRGIL BLOSSOM Mrs. Bates has been the official spokesman for the liberal group of the colored race through her position as State President of NAACP in every instance whether it has been official School Board meeting or whether it has been in a limited conference with me. She has been present at discussions involving NAACP leaders, Human Relations Committee leaders and Urban League leaders. She was present in the back of the room at Gibbs School when I, in a pre-school conference, told our plan of integration to the colored teachers of the Little Rock Public School System. In each instance she has been dissatisfied with the plan. She has tried to hurry integration at every opportunity . She has tried to bring about simultaneous integration from grades 1 to 12 in everything she has done. I have had a number of conferences with her trying to explain the unreasonableness of her requests. The only term I know to use is a number - I would say half a dozen, but I would not want to be pinned down. I have talked to her in the office here by herself. She has been present every time whether there has been a formal request of the School Board, whether it has been jus a small com- mittee, and she was present one time with an Interracial Committee of the Human...

From Collection

Land of (Unequal) Opportunity

Record Contributed By

University of Arkansas