Mar. 16, 1964 - Unsupported by three major Negro organizations and by a Puerto Rican group which backed the Feb. 3 school boycott in New York City, a second boycott held today had far fewer participants than the first and far less impact. The number of absences above normal was reduced to less than half.
James B. Donovan, president of the Board of Education, commented: “We are encouraged that the boycott method of expressing a point of view is regarded with markedly diminishing favor. The board intends to proceed with its adopted plan for school integration.”
The Rev. Milton Galamison, chairman of the Citywide Committee for Integrated Schools, called the boycott a success.
The rate of pupil absenteeism today was 26.1% compared with 44.8% in the first boycott. Among teachers today, there were 1,933 away, or 4.2% of the total, the usual absence ratio. On Feb. 3, 8.3% were off the job.
John Mangione, a vocational school principal whose school draws its pupils from throughout the city and is highly integrated, reflected the views of most administrators in saying: “Frankly, all the boycott is doing is encouraging boys to stay out of school — not to help the boycott, but just to stay out on their own.”
In late morning, about 700 pickets from Manhattan and the Bronx marched or traveled by bus or subway to City Hall. Shortly before 1 p.m., the City Hall demonstrators trudged across the Brooklyn Bridge — preceded by two policemen — to Board of Education headquarters in Brooklyn. With Rev. Galamison in the Brooklyn march were comedian Dick Gregory, Rep. Adam Clayton Powell, Harlem rent strike leader Jesse Gray, and Malcolm X, self-styled Black Nationalist.
A reporter said to Rep. Powell: “Malcolm X has said Negroes should carry weapons. Do you agree with this?”
“No, no, no,” he replied hotly. “I think independent support for the boycott is very good, that’s all.”
Comments