A federal lawsuit was brought against St. Mary’s County by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1956 on behalf of 66 Black children, pushing for the immediate desegregation of the public schools. They argued that these students were forced to travel further to get to these schools, driving past white schools on their way, and that the schools themselves were inferior. The lawsuit was dropped because the judge said it was premature since the county had made a start by appointing a committee of citizens to study desegregation. The Catholic Schools in St. Mary’s County began admitting African American students this year.