ist . ▁Indiana ' s ▁governor ▁signed ▁the ▁Hunter - B inder ▁bill ▁( H ouse ▁Bill ▁ 2 4 2 ) ▁into ▁law ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 4 9 . ▁The ▁law ▁mand ated ▁integration ▁of ▁Indiana ▁public ▁schools ▁by ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁and ▁prohib ited ▁disc rimin atory ▁h iring ▁practices . ▁School ▁districts ▁that ▁did ▁not ▁comp ly ▁with ▁the ▁new ▁law ▁would ▁face ▁susp ension ▁of ▁public ▁fund ing . ▁Despite ▁passage ▁of ▁the ▁legisl ation , ▁some ▁of ▁Indiana ' s ▁school ▁districts , ▁including ▁those ▁in ▁Indian apolis , ▁Evans ville , ▁and ▁Gary , ▁were ▁slow ▁to ▁integrate ▁their ▁schools , ▁forcing ▁subsequent ▁legal ▁action . ▁In ▁Indian apolis ▁the ▁legal ▁challeng es ▁to ▁the ▁state ▁law ▁continued ▁for ▁more ▁than ▁two ▁dec ades . ▁▁ ▁Richard son ▁was ▁also ▁considered ▁for ▁government ▁positions ▁outside ▁Indiana . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁he ▁was ▁nominated ▁for ▁federal ▁judge ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 ▁as ▁governor ▁of ▁U . S . ▁Virgin ▁Islands , ▁but ▁was ▁not ▁named ▁to ▁either ▁post . ▁▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁Richard son ▁continued ▁to ▁work ▁on ▁civil - right s ▁issues ▁serving ▁as ▁an ▁organization ▁leader ▁and ▁for ▁some ▁groups ▁as ▁a ▁legal ▁representative . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 3 , ▁as ▁the ▁state ' s ▁National ▁Association ▁for ▁the ▁Ad van cement ▁of ▁Col ored ▁People ' s ▁legal ▁representative ▁( a ▁position ▁he