RALEIGH — Hundreds of marchers from the state NAACP, local churches, student groups and civil rights organizations took to downtown Raleigh streets this morning, rallying at the State Capitol to protest the dismantling of a Wake school diversity policy they believe will lead to de facto resegregation.

They heard speeches from Rev. Nancy Petty, senior pastor at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church in Raleigh, Tim Tyson, a Duke University historian and author, Rev. William Barber, head of the state NAACP chapter, and other state and local church and religious leaders.

Shortly after 10 a.m. today, marchers braved the high heat and started the walk from the Raleigh Convention Center to the State Capitol, some on foot, others in wheelchairs or scooters, some pushing baby carriages. Many carried posters distributed by NAACP organizers. Others toted homemade signs: "No To Segregation!" "Segregation Equals Hate" and "Diversity Has Made Me One Heck Of A Jazz Musician" Others waved American flags or wore buttons that said, "Every Child, Our Child."

Members of the school board majority reject the assertion that their decision to ditch the diversity policy in favor of neighborhood schools will result in resegregation.

Sally Bloom, 47, who lives in North Raleigh, brought along daughter Annabelle, 10, one of four children in the family who attend Wake schools. Bloom carried a handmade sign that read "Wake County IS My Neighborhood."

"We are just huge proponents of diversity in the schools," she said. "All people are our neighbors."

Barbara Smalley-McMahan, a parent of a Wake school student, is worried about the divisions created by the Wake schools fight.

"What I'm really upset about about is how the community is split instead of recognizing that what happens to one happens to all," Smalley-McMahan said, a parent of a Wake school student.

Sylvia Barnes, 62, secretary of the state NAACP said the turnout showed that people don't want to go back to the days of segregation.

"It shows unity," said Barnes, from Wayne County, where there's another battle over resegregation in progress.

The hundreds of demonstrators sang the civil rights favorite "Don't let nobody turn you around" as they neared the stage at the north end of Fayetteville Street, then joined an onstage band and march leader Mary Williams in "People Get Ready." Speaking at the State Capitol rally, Duke professor Tyson, in his role of historian, offered background to the current struggle over Wake schools.

"We are snared in a historical dilemma, but we need not remain so," Tyson said.

David McNeill, associate director of the Global Training Initiative for newly arrived foreign students at NC State University, brought along students from China and Dubai to witness the power of democracy in action.

"The purpose of the class is to give them a broad spectrum of American culture," McNeill said.

The marchers traveled up Salisbury and Cabarrus streets before turning on to Fayetteville Street to walk north to the State Capitol. As they moved along the route, Raleigh police closed off cross streets, reopening them after the marchers passed. In the works for weeks, the march coincides with the conclusion of a national convention of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Raleigh for the past several days.

Police estimated the crowd at today's march and rally at around 1,000 people, said Raleigh Police Department spokesman Jim Sughrue. There were no arrests related to the march and rally, Sughrue said. Wake County EMS personnel attended to five crowd members who reported heat-related issues, with two of those five being transported to WakeMed for further evaluation. Police also parked several buses near the rally stage, air conditioners on, for refuge from the heat.

The march and rally also takes place on the same day as a Wake County school board meeting where march organizers say they plan to continue their protest. Supporters and opponents of the Wake school board majority lined up this morning at the school district headquarters on Wake Forest Road to get tickets to attend the 3 p.m. school board meeting. About 20 people were sitting on lawn chairs and reading books while waiting admission into the building around noon, grousing about having to use portable toilets in the parking lot.

Sporting a Wake County Republican Party sticker on his shirt, Fred Johnson of Raleigh arrived outside the school administration building shortly after 9 a.m. to secure a ticket for the afternoon school board meeting. He said he's tired of critics saying the board majority's policy change will result in resegregation of Wake schools.

"That is not the objective of the school board," he said. "They have one purpose: to improve the education of every student."

But Melonie Taylor, a retired Wake school teacher from Raleigh, said she has "grave reservations" about the board majority's decision to ditch the diversity policy and move to a neighborhood school system. She secured a ticket and said she planned to ask board members to "define for me: who is your neighbor?"

"I've been devastated by the fact that the two sides aren't listening to each other," she said.

Late last week, the church's 12 bishops -- who were meeting at the downtown Marriott hotel prior to the denomination's quadrennial convention for Christian education -- added their voices to the growing chorus of religious groups opposed to the recent vote to do away with the diversity policy for a system built on neighborhood schools.

Not all, though, are opposed to the proposed changes.

County Republican leaders have asked supporters to show up at the school board meeting scheduled for this afternoon to show support for the board majority, four of whom were elected in the fall on platforms for sweeping change.

The board's agenda this afternoon does not include any planned discussions about the policy.

There still could be political fireworks.

At a school board meeting June 15, Raleigh police filed second-degree trespassing charges against Barber; Tyson; Petty; and, Mary D. Williams, an activist and Wake schools parent. The four were arrested after refusing to give up the podium and then occupying the seats of members during a school board meeting that day.

Until those court cases are resolved, school officials banned the four from school property.

Barber has said previously that following the march and rally, a large group will show up at the afternoon school board meeting. Barber has not said explicitly whether he'd attend the meeting and risk being arrested for trespassing.

Barber and others had an open letter ready for school officials challenging the decision to ban him and the three others arrested last month from school property.
In the letter, Barber said that he and others had not planned to come to the meeting today until after the decision to ban them and the letter sent to the four. The letter states that many of the people at the rally this morning expressed an interest in going to the meeting and Barber and others said they "felt obliged to accompany them."

"Our attorneys researched the legal basis  for your letter," the letter said. " Your are not king! You cannot sit in judgment and decide who you like and who you dislike, and have those of us who you dislike banned from your meetings.  Your threat to arrest two mothers who have children in Wake schools has had a chilling effect on them.  Your threat has also had a freezing effect on thousands of other parents and students who disagree with the direction you are taking their schools, but may not have the resources  to risk arrest by petitioning for redress of their grievances.  There is no legal basis for you to target four people and put conditions on our exercising our rights.  If such an arbitrary exercise of power is permitted, then anyone who your caucus is afraid of, anyone who your caucus decides disagrees with their views, can be arrested before they speak or made any disruptive actions."

Barber has said previously that following the march and rally, a large group will show up at the afternoon school board meeting. Barber has not said explicitly whether he'd attend the meeting and risk being arrested for trespassing.

In anticipation of more protests, the school system plans to have eight off-duty police officers on the scene as well as Raleigh police.

Matt Ehlers contributed to this report.

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