Race and Segregation in American Schools EDTHP 115 Spring, 2003
What is Segregation? de jure (“by law”) segregation de jure (“by law”) segregation Segregation mandated by law Southern States Outlawed by Brown decision (1954) de facto (“in fact”) segregation de facto (“in fact”) segregation Segregation not mandated by law Resulting from school assignment policies & residential patterns Still common
Key Supreme Court Decisions on Segregation Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) Established doctrine of “separate but equal” (segregation is legal, as long as facilities are equal) Brown v. Board of Education (1954) Brown v. Board of Education (1954) “doctrine of separate but equal has no place” in US schooling
Key Supreme Court Decisions on Segregation (cont.) Green v. County School Board of New Kent County (1968) Green v. County School Board of New Kent County (1968) Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education (1971) Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education (1971) Both decisions enforced Brown, ordered school districts to use a variety of methods to eliminate segregation
Key Supreme Court Decisions on Segregation (cont.) Milliken v Bradley (1974) Milliken v Bradley (1974) Disallowed most inter-district desegregation efforts Board of Education of Oklahoma City Public Schools v. Dowell (1991) Board of Education of Oklahoma City Public Schools v. Dowell (1991) Freeman v Pitts (1992) Freeman v Pitts (1992) Both reduced desegregation requirements for districts
Racial Segregation in Public Schools,
White Private School Enrollment Rates by Black School-Age Population, Southern Counties, 1990
What Causes School Segregation?
Preferences Preferences Race-specific preferences Resources Resources Income, wealth, social networks Constraints Constraints School and housing policies, discrimination Housing Segregation Housing Segregation
Does Segregation Matter? Educational Consequences Educational Consequences Race & Inequality Resources in Schools Social Consequences Social Consequences Attitudes Contact
Atlanta, Percent Black, 1970
Atlanta, Percent Black, 1980
Atlanta, Percent Black, 1990
Atlanta, Percent Black, 2000
Philadelphia, Percent Black, 2000
Desegregation and ‘White Flight’ Move to suburbs Move to suburbs Moves to private schools Moves to private schools
White Private School Enrollment Rates by Black School-Age Population, Southern Counties, 1970
White Private School Enrollment Rates by Black School-Age Population, Southern Counties, 1980
White Private School Enrollment Rates by Black School-Age Population, Southern Counties, 1990