Delaware County TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 1968
Negro Group Questions Ridley Board
RIDLEY TOWNSHIP — The Ridley School Board was asked Monday night why it did not order its schools closed today in memory of slain civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King' Jr.
The 3rd Ward Community Club, a group of Negro residents, also asked the board:
- If provisions have been made for teaching Negro history in the school system.
- Whether plans have been made in the 1968 - 69 year to purchase multi-ethnic history books.
School Supt. Robert V. Donate said letters were sent home Monday with every school child, telling parents that if they wished to have their children excused from school today in respect to Dr. King, they could do so.
The- letter said a note would be required when the children' returned to school Wednesday.
Funeral services for Dr. King, who was assassinated Thursday in Memphis, Tenn., were conducted today in Atlanta.
Donate said a study of Negro history and the history of other ethnic included in the groups is school curriculum and teachers can order books such as the ones suggested by the group.
Mrs. Earl Driver, a club member, took issue with Donate over the letter the children received in school Monday. "By giving the children the privilege of staying home Tuesday, you segregated the whole thing," Mrs. Driver said.
Donato said giving the students a choice of attending school today was not intended to single out any ethnic group.
"The district is not officially closed but if we open Tuesday with no children in class, it will be fine with us," Donato said.
Donato told the residents he hoped they would not see the opening of schools as an act of disrespect to the memory of King.
Donato later said the decision to keep the schools open but allow students to stay home was patterned after a similar directive given by Gov. Raymond P. Shafer to state employees.
He also noted that federal offices were not officially closing.
Mrs. Driver reminded the school board that the Philadelphia Catholic Archdiocesan schools had closed for the day.
Mrs. Driver told Donato that Negro parents must strive to give their children a background of their history at home so they can identify with their own ethnic group.
"Our children do not have the opportunity to identify with their own ethnic group in the schools," Mrs. Driver said.
"Just as the Italians are proud to identify themselves with their explorers, we want our Negro children to be proud of Matthew Henson." (Arctic explorer).
"Don't put us in a special place in the sun—just give us the same place as others have."
"The entire history of all ethnic groups in America should be taught in its entirety in the schools;" Mrs. Driver added.
"My children should know just as much about others as they know about themselves."
Mrs. Driver, using her own son as an example, said many Negro students feel uncomfortable to be the only Negro in a classroom.
She said she feels the teachers should strive harder to eliminate this feeling.
Donato said this problem is a "self-imposed feeling." He said no teacher to his knowledge deliberately makes a Negro student feel uncomfortable in class.
Mrs. Driver agreed and said most teachers are unconscious of the situation.
"We want to do everything we can to make every student feel at home," Donato said, and if we aren't then we want to know about it and I speak for the school board and the administration."
There are about 200 Negro students in the 8,300 pupil Ridley School District, according to Donato.
Donato told the group every child in the district has exactly the same educational and attendant opportunities.
