Education: Mixed Progress

Seven autumns and scores of lawsuits after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled school segregation unconstitutional, the Southern Education Reporting Service last week issued a mixed progress report. For the first time, in fall 1960, the South opened its public schools without a shred of violence—not a single riot or bombing disturbed the peace. But not one Negro child as yet attends class with whites in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina or Louisiana.* And out of 3,095,345 Negro pupils in all Southern public schools, only 183,104 attend integrated classes in 1960. Compared to last year, the gain is a slim 2,084.