Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

50 Years Later, Schools Still Segregated
NewsMax ^ | 1/19/04 | Limbacher

Posted on 01/19/2004 6:14:52 PM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection

"Most schools in this country are overwhelmingly black or overwhelmingly white," Elise Boddie, head of the education department of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc., told the Washington Post. "We have still not committed ourselves as a country to the mandate of Brown versus Board of Education. If these trends are not reversed, we could easily find ourselves back to 1954."

Boddie was reacting to a new study released by the Harvard Civil Rights Project that concludes that 50 years after the Supreme Court ordered the desegregation of American education, schools are almost as segregated as they were when the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.

As reported by the Post, the study indicates that progress toward school desegregation peaked in the late 1980s as courts concluded that the goals of the landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education had largely been achieved.

However, over the past 15 years, the trend has been in the opposite direction – with the report noting that most white students now have "little contact" with minority students in many areas of the country.

"We are celebrating a victory over segregation at a time when schools across the nation are becoming increasingly segregated," noted the report, which was issued on the eve of the holiday celebrating King's birthday.

The Brown decision had its most dramatic impact in Southern states, where the percentage of blacks attending predominantly white schools increased from zero in 1954 to 43 percent in 1988.

However, according to the Harvard data, by 2001 the figure had fallen to 30 percent – about the same level as in 1969, the year after King's assassination.

Accentuated in recent years by the exodus of white middle-class families, the District of Columbia has long been one of the most segregated school districts in the nation.

The most segregated states for black students are New York and Illinois; the most integrated states are Wyoming and Ohio.

According to researchers, the resegregation trend picked up momentum as a result of a 1991 Supreme Court decision that authorized a return to neighborhood schools instead of busing – even if such a step would lead to segregation.

"There have been considerable gains in some areas, such as the number of [minority] students attending college," said John Jackson, education director for the NAACP. "But you still find many school districts across the country that are segregated and unequal. The implications are the same as in the fifties: Minority students in high-poverty areas are not getting a quality education."



TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: education; segregation
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041 next last
To: rdb3; Khepera; elwoodp; MAKnight; condolinda; mafree; Trueblackman; FRlurker; Teacher317; ...
Bull puckey. The Harvard group has "released" the same figures for months now. I appeared on Tavis Smiley's NPR radio show a year and a half ago to discuss the "newly released" figures.

The bottom line is that people go to school near their homes, period. Housing patterns are certainly far more segregated than many people might want to believe - especially in urban areas.

This is a result of people wanting to live in certain areas. In those areas, you will have far more schools with higher concentrations of black or Hispanic attendance, and in other areas, higher concentrations of predominantly white attendance. And yet other areas that have a mix that more or less represents the percentages of the racial makeup of America.

The bottom line, however, is that access is available equally.

The NAACP is doing nothing but pimping these statistics to justify their pathetic goal: vilification of mainstream America, and anyone who happens not to follow the remainder of the lemming-like masses who follow the Jackson-Sharpton cabal and the national "leadership" of the NAACP.

Black conservative ping

If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)

Extra warning: this is a high-volume ping list.

21 posted on 01/19/2004 7:32:05 PM PST by mhking (The powerful NFC South: 3 of the 4 teams have gone to the big dance within the last 5 years.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mhking
And yet other areas that have a mix that more or less represents the percentages of the racial makeup of America.

My neighborhood.

22 posted on 01/19/2004 7:36:56 PM PST by farmfriend ( Isaiah 55:10,11)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection
"...White students now have "little contact" with minority students in most areas across the country..."

Oh, brother. As Ronald Reagan once quipped, 'There you go, again.' Again the Liberals believe that minority children will learn more by sitting next to White children, through some form of osmosis.

...On the other hand, perhaps the lack of alternative opportunities (school choice, or vouchers) for Black parents to provide their children with a better education--something nearly every Democratic legislator vehemently opposes, along with their NEA buddies--may just have something to do with it. But of course, Liberals NEVER practice such discriminatory tactics- heavy sarcasm/on.

-Regards, T.
23 posted on 01/19/2004 7:48:36 PM PST by T Lady (Who Let the 'RATS Out?!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection
Elise Boddie is completely delusional. The U.S. has spent several trillion bucks on trying to level the playing field for blacks - result, out of sight welfare rolls, out of sight illiteracy rates among blacks, out of sight teen pregnancies and illegitimate births among blacks, etc. Plus, the effects on the NEA have resulted in the general dumbing-down of the entire school age population.

IMHO, the above is one of the major drivers of the relocation of jobs to other countries. People in those countries have skills and want to work.

Many young people in the U.S. are within their skill set asking "do you want fries with that?"
24 posted on 01/19/2004 8:35:07 PM PST by Chu Gary (USN Intel guy 1967 - 1970)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cyborg
The most segregated states for black students are New York and Illinois

I've lived most of my life in the former and two years in the latter and can honestly say that this sounds closest to the truth. When I was a kid on Lawn Guyland, you had schools that were largely black or largely, even lily white. I went to a PS that was 99% white (1% Asian) even though there were black people not a mile away. I still don't see how they get away with it.

Of course, if you confront anyone on Lawn Guyland about segregation they will say "isn't that in the south?"

25 posted on 01/19/2004 9:09:55 PM PST by Clemenza (East side, West side, all around the town. Tripping the light fantastic on the sidewalks of New York)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Clemenza
I'd be the first to say segregation? Ummm yeah LONG ISLAND... the libs and everyone else carved up LI pretty well with the racial steering and all that. It's more class now... the trashy havenots vs. the havesome vs. havemuch and the illegal aliens and schooltax robber NYC scofflaws.

26 posted on 01/19/2004 9:13:12 PM PST by cyborg (feed marmite to the prisoners and they'll never go there again)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection
Often blacks live in the city while white fled to the burbs. When blacks can afford to do so they typically flee there too. Black or white, who ever can afford it either homeschools or send their kids to private school. What's new about this?
27 posted on 01/19/2004 9:16:15 PM PST by nmh
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Clemenza
BTW, I went to Old Westbury School on Store Hill Road. There was ONE black kid in the whole school. Then there were the snotty arrogant Indian students but that's another story :-) Everyone was the same... The NAACP needs to go bye-bye and stop being troublemaking lib organization before they completely ruin their image.
28 posted on 01/19/2004 9:16:42 PM PST by cyborg (feed marmite to the prisoners and they'll never go there again)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: 2banana
"Blacks demand black studies, black fraternities, black only resident halls, black scholarships, black job placement programs, black academic societies, etc."

I want my daughter to have NO parts of such as racist agenda. We tend to view people of all races as human beings and then judge by their behavior. What's going on in their heart/mind comes out in their behavior.
29 posted on 01/19/2004 9:18:13 PM PST by nmh
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: nmh
nothing new about that... I lived in Rochdale, Queens right before it went down into the gutter then we moved to the suburbs.
30 posted on 01/19/2004 9:18:29 PM PST by cyborg (feed marmite to the prisoners and they'll never go there again)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: jscd3; IndependentSouthernDemocrat
Given this "scientific" underpinning, it was perfectly natural to see bussing presented as a remedial tool.

Bussing was not a part of Brown vs Board of Education. Brown decided that "separate is not equal" and required equal access to the nearest school. The objective was to "stop segregation".

Subsequently, the judicial objective was altered to "achieve integration". Thence, bussing...

31 posted on 01/19/2004 9:35:29 PM PST by okie01 (www.ArmorforCongress.com...because Congress isn't for the morally halt and the mentally lame.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection
Segregated by choice and the fact the Dems won't let the poor blacks out of the failing urban schools with choice and vouchers.

The Dems stood in the doorways of schools in the past to keep blacks out and now lock them in.

But the blacks still give the Dems 95% of their vote so I have no sympathy.
32 posted on 01/19/2004 9:43:45 PM PST by Fledermaus (I hope the State of the Union address calls for less spending and more control over our money!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cyborg
JA Dever in Valley Stream (Guidolandia), although I lived in Malverne. Most of the (white) kids who lived in Malverne were zoned for Valley Stream, while Malverne's schools were largely populated with black kids from Lakeview next door.

Old Westbury? I always figured you for a Sacred Heart chick. I would've gone to Chaminade had I stuck around for High School.

33 posted on 01/19/2004 9:53:40 PM PST by Clemenza (East side, West side, all around the town. Tripping the light fantastic on the sidewalks of New York)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: nmh
Then in places like Chicago and even DC, blacks are fleeing to the inner suburbs as the Gays/Yuppies sans children drive up the real estate in the city.
34 posted on 01/19/2004 9:55:42 PM PST by Clemenza (East side, West side, all around the town. Tripping the light fantastic on the sidewalks of New York)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: Clemenza
Went to OW for the first year then graduated from Sacred Heart. My sister couldn't take SHA and graduated from Uniondale High with much honors. SHA was okay, but the Chaminade dances were BORING.
35 posted on 01/19/2004 9:56:49 PM PST by cyborg (feed marmite to the prisoners and they'll never go there again)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: psychoknk
Oh, that's easy. Parents could from the poorer school schools can sue the school district, because Little Johnny is not able to attend the "nice" school in the richer neighborhood. Right?
36 posted on 01/19/2004 9:59:18 PM PST by Pan_Yans Wife (He who has never hoped can never despair.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: psychoknk; Pan_Yans Wife
Why not? Public schools are a form of socialism and all about "equality of opportunity," why not make good on that promise and allow anyone to attend any public school that they wish.

PRIVATIZE EDUCATION NOW! I'm sick of footing the bill for "chillrun" who are merely biding time before they get sent to the state license plate factory in Ossining or Attica.

37 posted on 01/19/2004 10:14:36 PM PST by Clemenza (East side, West side, all around the town. Tripping the light fantastic on the sidewalks of New York)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: okie01
Bussing was not a part of Brown vs Board of Education

Never said that it was. Please re-read my post. What I said was that the objective was to end Jim Crow - you see, we agree. What I then said was that the means to achive this end was to site "scientific studies" that supposedly documented that black children could only achive their potential in the presence of white children. You can read the Supreme Court decision yourself if you doubt me. (By the way, it was Thomas Sowell who first pointed out the importance of this logic)

Given the reasoning behind the position, it's pretty clear that active integration, rather than simply stopping active segregation, would be the logical results of the decision. Hence bussing logically and inevitably followed.

I think that Brown vs BOE is a real good example of a common failure of liberalism: the failure to take into account the affects and consequences of the decisions that are being made. Consequently, no matter how bad or unjust a situation is, you can pretty much count on a liberal solution making it worse.

38 posted on 01/20/2004 5:32:55 AM PST by jscd3
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: nmh
Some city blacks also bring their problems to the suburban schools. Now there is the new problem of some suburban schools being two schools in one -- classes for well-to-do smart students (usually white) and classes for poor minority students who generally don't do as well.

The problems never end.

39 posted on 01/20/2004 5:45:23 AM PST by ladylib
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection
This is because power political divisive strategy has everybody at each other's throats.

40 posted on 01/20/2004 7:06:23 AM PST by William Terrell (Individuals can exist without government but government can't exist without individuals.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson