On May 17, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that segregation of the races in public school was unconstitutional. At the time, segregation was the law in 17 states and many districts.
For years, the states where segregation was outlawed resisted the court decision. Their favorite ploy was school choice. They knew that school choice would preserve racial segregation because whites would choose to stay with whites, and blacks would be fearful of applying to white schools, where they would face a hostile climate, harassment, and even violence.
The Supreme Court and lower federal courts overturned the many strategies enacted to evade the necessity of desegregation.
But that was then,and this is now.
Now, billionaires proudly sponsor segregated schools. Now, cities and states authorize all-black, all-Hispanic, all-white charter schools without embarrassment.
The UCLA Civil Rights Project says that racial resegregation is on the rise, for blacks and Hispanics.
The federal government–most especially, the U.S. Department of Education–doesn’t care about racial segregation any more. Nor does it have an active interest in discrimination against students with disabilities. When the ACLU recently won a ruling against voucher schools in Milwaukee that excluded students with disabilities, it went not to the Office of Civil Rights in the Department of Education, but to the U.S. Department of Justice. When the U.D. Government Accountability Office issued a report criticizing charter schools for their mall proportions of students with disabilities, James Shelton of the U.S. Department of Education said something like, “we’ll have to look into that.” That was the last heard from this Department.
Those who care about the resegregation of public education and discrimination against students because of their disabilities will have to wait for another administration that also cares about fairness, equity, and the principles enunciated on May 17, 1954. This one does not.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
a number of people are writing about Brown today. I did at Daily Kos in a piece titled 59 years ago today.
I also suggest looking at We Need a New Vision for the Brown Decision.
relevant to today, people might also find this interesting
but you all voted for him. many can be viewed specifically saying ( see You tube) ( see alex pelosi’s welfare queen piece on bill mawr) they voted for him because of his race.
not workin out is it, except for the welfare queens maybe, but not really.
Profound analysis you’ve got there, Noel. Really deep stuff. And the non-rich folks who voted (twice) for George W. Bush? That worked out well for THEM? Shall we apply some insulting epithets to them?
By the way, I voted for McGovern, Carter, Anderson, Dukakis, Clinton, Clinton again, Gore, Kerry, Obama, and Obama again. Must be because of race.
George Bush/Dick DeVos Charter School Fundraiser Highlights Disturbing Future of Public Schools
In NJ and many other states, the RttT waivers allowed for achievement targets that differed by race!
I remember learning that one of my teachers was offered her first job in 1960 in a voucher school in St. Bernard parish, next to New Orleans. The goal was clearly to avoid federally-mandated racial integration. In 1966-67, the first year in which the racial integration was required to be carried out if schools wanted to continue to receive federal funding, the public schools in St. Bernard decided to segregate middle and high schools by gender. I attended an all-girls public middle and high school; I graduated in 1985. The school system was sued in 1985 for segregating by gender and lost. The St. Bernard public schools completely integrated in 1988-89.
It is fair to also remember all that has occurred since 1954 in regards to neighborhood integration (or the lack thereof). Certainly neighborhood integration can’t be forced, but from what I’ve been reading (mostly through links on this blog and links that those links lead me to), there was forceful action in the other direction. So the schools were expected to be the door to integration in the community at large, and yet the neighborhoods were set to move in the opposite direction. So the schools (I am a public school supporter) have been held back by this and while I see the beauty of the public school ideal, to the outside (the reformers, or those who are intolerant of being slowed down or burdened or bothered or even within proximity of cultures and races to which they cannot relate, or who see where pockets of cultures that are not thriving in the United States have schools that reflect their living conditions–despite teachers, despite mandates, despite school lunch programs), the inclination to fix it arises. And the inclination to make a business out of fixing it arises. That’s where we are now.
Our schools reflect our communities. To me the question is why are the neighborhoods not more integrated so that neighborhood schools are rich havens of diversity (as many are–mine certainly is).
I still think more attention should be paid (in talks about school and education reform) to and about the huge task of public schools being the prime place/situation/entity where integration was happening and has happened. Where is our applause for that? In my upbringing, public school was the only place where I knew minorities (other than people who worked for us). Being the sole host of integration is a tall order. You heap that on an institution and it is going to experience setbacks. It is going to experience less than stellar moments. Schools were expected to change ideas about race, while neighborhoods did not, while churches did not, while social organizations did not, while colleges and universities did not and while many offices of business and government did not (not until laws were passed about affirmative action). So to harsh critics of public school I say. . .back off. We have been trying to help our society in HUGE ways, and often while having the same leadership tell us to do so while at the same time working against us with neighborhood and real estate approaches. And then you heap Sputnik on and my goodness. . .of course we are going to struggle. So to then be told that this is a shortcoming on the part of teachers and public schools–good grief. Tie my hands, tie my feet, chain me to a chair and then punish me for not kicking the ball.
I don’t know the answer, but I wish public school at large would be given more credit for being the place where the most integration has happened in our society (other than the few brave souls who have intermarried and created mixed race children, intentionally or not). If there seems to be a movement backwards now, then maybe we can get the neighborhoods integrated this time around and then make a second attempt towards integrated neighborhood schools that truly reflect a neighborhood (after folks see that charters are not without their problems and that vouchers do not cover the cost of most private schools that are any good). That is the best we can hope for if the charter school and voucher programs continue to gain momentum.
If not but for public school, I never would have met a minority until I was 18.
Thank you for your honesty!
Be ever vigilant, readers. Do not forget about the Wake County (North Carolina) School Board elections, how the Koch brothers attempted to buy them and then re-segregate the Wake County Schools not so long ago. (Everything can be seen in the Robert Greenwald documentary, “Koch Brothers Exposed,” which can be viewed, I believe, online.) Current TV has shown it numerous times, and will probably do so again, until it’s replaced by Al Jazeera’s programming. It’s a must see for all of you!
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