Black Students End Sit-In at Selma High School

About 150 black students abandoned their sit-in at Selma High School on Monday at the request of black school Supt. Norward Roussell, whose firing by the white-controlled school board sparked the demonstration.

But the students, whose sit-in had closed public schools in the 70% black, 6,000-student system since Thursday, took their protest to City Hall with a call for Mayor Joe Smitherman’s resignation.

The mayor said all schools would reopen today, but some white parents announced that they were transferring children to other school systems.

After leaving the cafeteria, the students marched to City Hall, then left after a brief meeting between Smitherman and six student leaders. About 25 other adults and students were continuing their own sit-in at City Hall.

U.S. District Judge Charles Butler of Mobile, Ala., refused Monday to grant a temporary restraining order against the black protesters in Selma. However, he said he would reconsider the order if continued protests interfered with school and City Hall activities.

The protests revolve around the future of Roussell, the city’s first black school superintendent. Five black school board members announced their resignations, and blacks began picketing City Hall and some banks after the six white board members voted in December not to renew Roussell’s contract, which expires in June.

The protests intensified last week after the board informed Roussell that his services were no longer needed. Roussell was reinstated Tuesday, but his contract was not extended.

Roussell confirmed that the white members of the school board had threatened to fire him if he did not expel the sit-in students. He said he would not expel them but did not rule out lesser disciplinary action. Joe Pickard, a white member of the school board, said he was not aware of any such threat to fire Roussell.

Roussell and his supporters say the board opposes him because of race, not his alleged lack of managerial skills cited in an evaluation.

The racial tensions and shutdown of the school system have prompted some white parents to transfer their children.

Sandra Knapp Sewell was among them, transferring her daughter, Melissa, to Prattville. “I’m leaving a place I’ve lived in 45 years to make sure she has a safe place to go to school,” Sewell said.