The Plaintiff
Vincent
and Edward smith were just regular seven year old boys. They were
denied enrollment to the YMCA's two week summer camp. Why? Because
they were black. There were not requirements for enrollment aside
from filling out an application and paying the $12 fee. On June
3, Annie Ruth, mother to Vincent and Mary Louise, mother to Edward
turned in their sons' applications for the summer camp to Executive
Director Chandler. Chandler denied them enrollment and said that
it was an all white camp. Later he said that he himself could
not accept the boys and that the Y's board of Directors would
have to look at their case.
Human Relation Council's Bill Schutz was the man who brought
this case to the attention of Morris Dees. Of course, Morris told
him that this would be a difficult case. The YMCA was a private
organization and the Civil Rights Act did not apply to private
organizations.
Morris Dees met with the women. The women weren't demanding nor
loud. They were simple quiet women who just wanted their sons
enrolled in a summer camp. Looking at the faces of those people,
Morris remembered summers on the Mount. He remembered that he
had gone to the YMCA camp and had swam in the lake. He remembers
that he raced the city boys and beat them but wished his friend
Little Buddy were there. With these feelings and understanding
the potential of the case, Morris Dees chose to accept this case.
The suit filed against the YMCA said that the organization was
engaging in racial discrimination by refusing to accept the Smith
boys on the account of race. This type of racial discrimination
was a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and a violation
of the rights of the boys as established by the Equal Protection
clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
