He then transitioned to the Department of Public Instruction’s Division of Human Labor. After his work with the State Textbook Commission, Superintendent Dr. Craig Phillips called on him to help desegregate schools in North Carolina, fostering unity in divided communities to support the goals of Brown v. Board of Education. 

“There was no other way to integrate our society except through schools.”

-Dr. Dudley E. Flood

Dudley specialized in school desegregation and race relations, collaborating with Gene Causby, an educator and principal in Goldsboro City Schools. Their first task was to get children back to school in Hyde County by hosting a meeting to unite the community. During the meeting, Dr. Flood used a two-colored ball to illustrate how different perspectives can shape viewpoints.