Seventy years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that segregating children in schools by race was unconstitutional, leading to the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education. Despite this decision, American schools have been re-segregating over the past few decades, with around 4 out of 10 Black and Hispanic students attending schools where almost all of their classmates are students of color. This racial segregation is closely linked to socioeconomic conditions, as schools with a high percentage of students of color are often located in low-income areas, leading to adverse academic outcomes for students.
Efforts to slow or reverse the resegregation of American schools have been stalling, with court cases gradually eroding the progress made by the Brown v. Board decision. Integration, which was the goal of the landmark case, now exists more as an idea or a memory rather than a reality in schools across the country. The unequal distribution of resources in predominantly white schools compared to schools with a high percentage of students of color further exacerbates the opportunity gap and undermines the principles of equality and justice that Brown v. Board aimed to achieve.
While the Brown v. Board decision marked the end of segregated schools in the United States, it took many years of delay and avoidance before meaningful integration efforts began in school districts. Court rulings, monitoring, and enforcement led to a brief era of integration where Black students experienced improved educational outcomes. However, subsequent court decisions, such as Milliken v. Bradley and Parents Involved v. Seattle Public Schools, unraveled these gains by limiting the tools available to districts for integration.
The city of Charlotte, North Carolina, serves as a microcosm of the challenges faced in achieving school integration. Once considered a success story for integration efforts, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district has now become the most segregated district in the state. Despite the previous success of busing programs in integrating schools, underlying disparities and residential segregation have led to resegregation in the district. The divide between affluent and poor areas in Charlotte highlights the need for explicit strategies to address these conditions.
Efforts to move forward in a system resistant to integration involve addressing the intersection of funding and integration in schools. Organizations like Brown’s Promise seek to leverage state courts to obtain tools for integration that have been taken away by the Supreme Court. Lawsuits in states like Connecticut, New Jersey, and Minnesota have challenged segregation in schools and brought attention to the need for continued litigation to push for integration efforts. While solutions may be imperfect, the history of successful integration in the past provides a roadmap for moving towards a more diverse and equitable education system.
As the country marks 70 years since the Brown v. Board decision, the work towards achieving its vision of integration remains unfinished. While there are no perfect answers, the push for integration is essential in creating a stronger multiracial democracy. Despite the challenges and setbacks, efforts to ensure that all children have the opportunity to attend diverse schools must continue in order to uphold the principles of equality and justice that Brown v. Board of Education represents.
