Law and educational activities are both necessary in the promotion of equality of rights and opportunities for all, regardless of race, religion, national origin or ancestry, it was established at a special conference of 75 social scientists, lawyers and Jewish community leaders held here under the auspices of the National Community Relations Advisory Council, the coordinating body of a number of Jewish groups in the field of combatting anti-Semitism.
Addressing the three-day conference, Irving Kane, NCRAC leader, said: “At one time, recourse to law was contrasted with education as an instrument of social change. It is now generally recognized that they are not only compatible, but actually are complementary approaches. A concrete proposal for a legislative change or a specific court action provides an effective focus for public education and interpretation. Laws once enacted, or a decision rendered, becomes educational in itself.”
Bernard H. Trager, NCRAC chairman, said that the purpose of the conference was to develop recommendations that would stand as guides to the national and local Jewish community relations agencies and to the committees of the NCRAC that continuously plan joint programs and coordinate the work of the agencies. Will Maslow, national director of the Commission on Law and Social Action of the American Jewish Congress, enumerated as some “fruits of the legal technique:”
1. Fair employment practice laws in twelve states and more than thirty cities. 2. Fair educational practice laws in three states. 3. Enforcement of many dead-letter civil rights laws by administrative commissions against discrimination. 4. Prohibition of discrimination in public or quasi-public housing projects in many states. 5. Outlawing of segregated public education by the Supreme Court. 6. Prohibition of legal enforcement of restrictive real estate covenants. 7. Protection of rights of free speech, publication and assembly.
Both legislative campaigns and litigations may yield indirect, as well as direct gains, Mr. Maslow declared, in the form of greater public understanding and changed if attitudes. “Litigation,” he said, “can also be an educational device. The effort to persuade the Federal Communications Commission to revoke the radio licences of George A. Richards, who instructed his news commentators to slant radio broad-casts against Jews, did not succeed, but the ensuing publicity sensitized the entire broadcasting industry to its obligations and the dangers involved in not fulfilling them.”
Dr. Isidor Chein, professor of psychology at New York University, gave “A Social Scientist’s View of the Use of Law and Legislation for the Advancement of Community Relations Objectives.” Dr. Chein emphasized the impact of law on the psychology of the individual. He pointed out that laws on civil rights reflect ideals that are held by all Americans, and that even bigots may be influenced by them to change their attitudes. He urged that more research be done on the effect of law and legal actions on the actual status of minority groups and on changes in attitudes.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
