1970 SPECIAL REPORT: "HOUSTON SCHOOL INTEGRATION"

HOUSTON, Feb. 28 — Amid a clamor of protests from many parents and teachers, the Houston School Board, is mov ing toward voluntary racial integration of the Houston independent school district.

With about 250,000 students and 10,000 teachers, it has been the largest segregated school district in the United States.

Angry white parenth, some of whom have shouted threats at school board members, have been crowding meetings for two weeks to voice objections toward the action approved by a 4 to 3 board vote. Two organizations have been formed to oppose the ‘school board's actions.

Economic reprisals have been made against at least two members of the school board majority. A number of motor ists have returned their credit cards to the Shell Oil Com pany where Dr. George Oser, one of the school board ma joility, is a research physicist.

The Levy Clinic, where school board president Dr. Leonard Robbins is an asso ciate, lost one of its corpora tion clients because of the school board's decision.

Dr. Robbins said that the school board majority had no intention of bowing to pressure and is determined to integrate peacefully Houston schools. He said that segregation was a disservice to both whites and Negroes.

Expression of Hope

“Many of our black young sters in Houston have been attuned to survival instead of achievement and we are hope ful that we can inspire some to aim higher than mere sur vival,” Dr. Robbins said.

White students who are taught by Negro teachers “hopefully will learn respect and admiration” for accom plished Negroes, he said.

“We want to prepare our young people to become pro ductive citizens and in today's society we believe this is best served in a desegregated situa tion,” Dr. Robbins said.

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