To: NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.

From: Patricia Stephens Due

Re: Report on Educational situation in Leon County, Florida.

April 15-May 4, 1967

Date: May 16, 1967

I was contacted April 14, 1967, by Nancy Adams to discuss the possibility of my becoming involved in the work of the Educational Improvement Committee of the NAACP. After discussing the situation and recognizing the urgency for concentrated work in light of the court decision to integrate schools, I accepted the responsibility.

The freedom of choice plan handed down by the court made it necessary for Leon County to give each student a form to take home, select his school, and return in thirty days. My responsibility was to two-fold-organize the Negro Community and encourage them to sign their children up for white schools and (2) to keep in touch with the teacher situation. These were my responsibilities but as far as the community was concerned, I was a volunteer. I (we) agreed to do this to avoid being labeled a paid agitator or a professional, and secondly, to obtain and maintain good report with committee members who have volunteered their services daily for months.

The Leon County Community is very difficult to organize for several reasons. The major reason is that many potential leaders are employed by the state and others are dependent on whites in one way or another. Secondly, there is and has been for the past ten years, a lack of communication among the Negro groups in the community. Also, there is considerable rivalry and jealousy within groups making it difficult for them to function effectively.

I found that the responsibility I accepted was a gigantic one-getting an office set up, volunteers, raising funds, organizing a permanent base, and doing the necessary work within the thirty day period. The lack of cooperation between the NAACP and the Educational Improvement of the NAACP made it twice a difficult to operate, one would think they were separate groups.