IN S U M M A T I O N " . . . Bro. Ernest N. M o r i a l . . Brother Ernest N. "Dutch" Morial was born October 9, 1929, in New Orleans and received his early education in the city's public and parochial schools. In 1951 he was awarded a B.S. in Business Administration from Xavier University of Louisiana, after receiving the Louisiana Teachers Association Scholarship. Three years later he became the first Black graduate of the Louisiana State Law School, after having successfully competed in the Law School's Moot Court competition. Morial served with the U.S. Army
Intelligence Corps, 1954-56, during the Korean conflict, acting as a liason with the CIA. Upon returning to New Orleans, Morial established a law practice in association with A. P. Tureaud, dean of Negro lawyers in Louisiana. He also taught, serving as part-time instructor in Distributive Education for the Orleans Parish School Board and teaching business administration and insurance at Xavier University. During early years of his law practice in New Orleans, Morial participated ac-
tively as a cooperating attorney with the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and served as the President of the New Orleans Chapter of the NAACP. His influence with this organization extended to the national level, where he served on the Resolutions Committee at the NAACP's national conventions. Locally, Morial fought for equal rights by handling many suits which resulted in the elimination of segregation policies. His wife, Sybil Haydel Morial, was the successful plaintiff in a suit challenging the Louisiana law which prohibited teachers from holding membership in organizations advocating integration in the classroom. Other legal actions handled by Morial brought about the end of racial discrimination policies at Delgado Trade School, New Orleans Municipal Auditorium and area colleges, including LSUNO, Southwestern and Southeastern. Morial served as president of the local NAACP chapter from 1962 to 1965, when he resigned to accept a position with the U. S. Attorney's office in Louisiana (another "first" for the state's Negroes). The political career of Dutch Morial started in 1959 when he ran for the Louisiana Democratic State Central Committee. Although he reached the second primary run-off, he was not elected to the Committee. In 1967 Morial won a seat in the Louisiana House of Representatives, scoring a first primary victory over one Negro and two white opponents. To become the first Black Democrat ever elected to the Louisiana legislature and the first black since reconstruction, he successfully united black and white voters. In this contest, Morial became the first Negro candidate endorsed by both the New Orleans States-Item and The Times Picayune. In 1968 he was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. loining a field of seven candidates in 1969, Representative Morial sought election to a Councilman-at-Large post for the City of New Orleans. He won a second primary slot by trailing the top vote getter by only 10,000 votes in the first primary. In the second primary, he closed the vote gap to 6,000, losing the election by less than four percent of the total votes cast.
N.A.A.CP. 63rd Annual Convention The 63rd Annual Convention of the NAACP was perhaps one of the largest and most productive in the long illustrious history of the Association. More tnan 2,600 delegates and alternates gathered in Detroit in order to map out new strategies, sharpen existing techniques and reaffirm the Association's 63-year consistent commitment to achieve a completely integrated, multi-racial, society, realizing that only in such a nation can equality be real and authentic. The delegates fully understood what NAACP Board Chairman, Stephen Gill Spottswood meant in his opening keynote speech on Friday, July 4th when he said: "I tell you and all to whom these words shall come, that the NAACP considers itself here, now in July, in the Year of Our Lord 1972, in a state ot war. Every man and woman, every youth and every adult who has accepted membership in the NAACP has also accepted a place in the ranks of the NAACP army. They must know that the time has now come to 'put on the whole armor of God . . . For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world and against spiritual wickedness in high places.' " Most delegates and Negro Americans were painfully aware of the "not so silent retreat" of the Administration in the entire field of federal enforcement of civil rights obligations. Few were unaware of the attempt to impose an anti-Black Supreme Court on the land. All delegates knew quite well that many of our hardwon gains are placed in serious jeopardy by the policies of the present Administration. The 63rd Annual Convention of the NAACP understood all too well what the late Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune meant when she said nearly three decades ago, "We have come a long way but we still have a long way to go." Most delegates were alarmed over the Administration's opposition to equal educational opportunities for Black children expressed through the President's "opposition to busing." The true meaning of this racist position becomes evident when we consider that absolutely no meaningful plan was put forth to build a bridge for deprived Black children to escape the disabilities of ghetto life. While the President has come out against so called "quotas," he has not advanced any plan to end discrimination in employment and mounting unemployment among Black Americans. The presence of so many dedicated people was a clear signal of their understanding that it is through the NAACP that we can hopefully beat back this spreading blight of bigotry that is suffocating our political landscape. All realized that membership in the NAACP was indeed one way that we must respond to this crisis. Some may choose to protest, others may petition, still others may picket. However, all of us must persevere and proudly proclaim our support for the NAACP. Real meaning can be given our concern through increased Membership, Life Membership in the NAACP for our families, members, friends, colleagues and associates. Everyone must join. Freedom must be fought for and won —• it is never bestowed. 2