School Segregation: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
Summary
TLDRThe video script tackles the persistent issue of school segregation in the U.S., highlighting that despite societal diversity, racial segregation in schools has increased. It points out the irony that New York State, not the South, is now the most segregated, challenging common misconceptions. The script discusses the academic and social disparities caused by segregation, the historical context of desegregation efforts, and the complex reactions they elicited. It emphasizes the importance of proactive measures for integration, noting the benefits for all students involved, and concludes by urging the audience to consider the long-term impacts of segregated education on society.
Takeaways
- đ« School segregation remains a significant issue in the U.S., with the number of racially homogenous schools more than doubling in the past 20 years.
- đ Contrary to common assumptions, the South is not the most segregated region for black students; New York State holds that distinction.
- đ§đŠ Segregation affects educational quality, as black and Latino children are more likely to attend schools with less experienced teachers and fewer resources.
- đ The principle that 'separate educational facilities are inherently unequal' from Brown v. Board of Education is still relevant today.
- đ The 1964 Civil Rights Act inadvertently allowed for continued segregation in the North due to exemptions for 'racial imbalance' not caused by law.
- đœ New York City's segregated schools are a legacy of racially biased housing policies and a lack of true integration efforts.
- đ Desegregation efforts have faced backlash and legal challenges, leading to a resurgence of school segregation in some areas.
- đ Desegregation has been shown to have long-term benefits, including improved graduation rates and reduced incarceration rates for African Americans.
- đ Exposure to diverse environments from an early age is crucial for combating racial bias and fostering understanding among children.
- đ Systemic racism is not solved by the election of high-profile individuals like President Obama; it requires ongoing, proactive measures.
- đ Even successful desegregation models, like in Charlotte, North Carolina, can be undone by legal challenges and societal resistance.
Q & A
What is the main issue discussed in the script?
-The main issue discussed in the script is school segregation, particularly the rise in racial segregation in schools over the past 20 years.
According to the script, which region in the U.S. is the least segregated for black students?
-The script states that the South is the least segregated region for black students, contrary to common perceptions.
Why is New York State considered the most segregated system in America?
-New York State is considered the most segregated system in America due to the high level of racial segregation in its schools, largely influenced by New York City's school system.
What is the historical context behind the 1964 Civil Rights Act's exemption for northern schools?
-The 1964 Civil Rights Act was crafted by northern lawmakers to target segregation by law in the South, but it exempted the racial imbalance of northern schools, which often resulted from racist housing policies.
What was the impact of desegregation on schools that received white students?
-The script mentions that when white students were integrated into schools, resources often followed, leading to immediate improvements in facilities and funding.
How did the desegregation of Charlotte, North Carolina initially fare?
-Initially, desegregation in Charlotte was effective, with a significant reduction in the percentage of Latino and black children attending racially isolated schools by the end of the 1980s.
What event led to the reversal of desegregation in Charlotte?
-The reversal of desegregation in Charlotte was triggered by a lawsuit filed by a white parent whose daughter was not admitted to a magnet school, leading to a federal judge ruling in his favor and dismantling the desegregation plan.
What misconception does the script suggest is associated with electing an African-American president?
-The script suggests that the misconception is that electing an African-American president, such as Barack Obama, signifies that systemic racism has been resolved.
What are some of the long-term benefits of desegregation mentioned in the script?
-The script mentions that blacks who attended desegregated schools were more likely to graduate, less likely to be incarcerated as adults, and their children also fared better.
How does the script illustrate the importance of exposure to diversity at a young age?
-The script uses examples of children's reactions to racial bias tests and a second grader's school project to illustrate the importance of early exposure to diversity for combating stereotypes and misconceptions.
What are some of the current efforts mentioned in the script to address school segregation?
-The script mentions voluntary programs in Boston to send city kids to suburban schools and a complex school assignment formula in Louisville aimed at creating more integrated schools.
Outlines
đ« School Segregation in America
This paragraph discusses the persistent issue of school segregation in the United States, highlighting that the number of racially homogenous schools has doubled in the past 20 years. Contrary to common assumptions, the South is not the most segregated region; New York State holds that distinction. The paragraph also emphasizes the academic disparities between racially segregated schools, pointing out that black and Latino children are more likely to attend schools with inexperienced teachers and less college prep curriculum. The narrative touches on the principle from Brown v. Board of Education that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal, and it illustrates the stark differences in resources between schools through a student's perspective from a school exchange program.
đ The Struggle for Desegregation
This paragraph delves into the history and challenges of desegregation efforts in the United States. It points out that the South was less segregated for black students due to the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which was designed to address legal segregation in the South but left the de facto segregation of the North largely untouched. The paragraph also recounts personal experiences of racial tension during desegregation attempts in cities like Boston, and it discusses the benefits of integration, such as increased resources in schools that were racially mixed. However, it also highlights the backlash against busing and desegregation, leading to the re-segregation of schools in cities like Charlotte, North Carolina.
đ The Illusion of Desegregation
This paragraph examines the misconception that electing an African-American president, Barack Obama, signaled the end of systemic racism. It argues that racism is not a problem that resolves itself over time and criticizes the complacency of some who believe that desegregation is no longer necessary. The paragraph also addresses the resistance to integration efforts, particularly from parents who are concerned about their children's education but may inadvertently contribute to segregation. It underscores the importance of proactive measures to ensure racial diversity in schools and the negative impacts of segregation on children's self-worth and educational opportunities.
đŠđ§ The Impact of Integrated Education
The final paragraph focuses on the long-term benefits of integrated education, citing research that shows positive outcomes for both black and white students. It argues against the belief that desegregation has negative effects on white students, presenting evidence that it does not and can actually improve outcomes for black students in terms of graduation rates and reduced incarceration rates. The paragraph also highlights the importance of early exposure to racial diversity to prevent the development of racial biases and the potential for transformative experiences in integrated schools. It concludes with a call to action for all adults to invest in integrated schooling solutions for the benefit of future generations.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄRacism
đĄSchool Segregation
đĄBrown v. Board of Education
đĄRacial Imbalance
đĄDesegregation
đĄCivil Rights Act of 1964
đĄRacial Bias
đĄSelf-Esteem
đĄAchievement Gap
đĄIncarceration
đĄDiversity
Highlights
Racial segregation in schools is increasing, with a significant rise in the number of schools with less than 1% white students over the last 20 years.
Despite societal diversity, nearly 7,000 schools have a racial makeup similar to the audience of a Tyler Perry movie, indicating a lack of integration.
Contrary to common belief, the South is the least segregated region for black students, while New York State is the most segregated.
The 1964 Civil Rights Act did not address the de facto segregation in the North due to housing policies, leading to persistent racial imbalance in schools.
Segregated schools often lack resources and have inexperienced teachers, negatively impacting the education of black and Latino children.
A school swap program revealed stark differences in resources and facilities between schools, highlighting the disparities in educational opportunities.
The benefits of desegregation include improved resources and facilities in schools with a more diverse student body.
Charlotte, North Carolina was a model for effective desegregation, significantly reducing the number of racially isolated schools.
Desegregation efforts faced backlash, with a lawsuit in Charlotte leading to the dismantling of its successful desegregation plan.
The belief that electing an African-American president indicated the end of systemic racism is debunked as a misconception.
Studies show that desegregation has long-term positive effects on black students, including better educational outcomes and reduced incarceration rates.
Desegregation does not negatively impact white students and can lead to a more comprehensive understanding of racial issues.
Parents' resistance to integration efforts can stem from concerns about their children's safety and education quality.
Successful desegregation requires proactive measures and cannot rely solely on the natural progression of neighborhood demographics.
Examples from Boston and Louisville show that voluntary programs and complex assignment formulas can lead to more integrated schools.
The long-term benefits of desegregation extend beyond individual students to impact society as a whole, fostering understanding and reducing racial bias.
Transcripts
racism you know the problem that crash
failed to solve specifically we're going
to discuss school segregation which it
turns out is still a big problem
racial segregation is on the rise the
number of schools where 1% are less if
the student population is white has more
than doubled in the last 20 years that's
true even as our society has grown more
diverse nearly 7,000 schools have the
same racial makeup as the audience of
your average Tyler Perry movie and that
one white guy is Leonard Maltin and he
has to be there it's his job boo
Ahmadiyya Halloween three stars now at
this point if you are in a city like New
York you're probably thinking Oh
splendid
I know where this is going a story
vilifying the backwards and racist
American South let me just grab a
handful of kale chips that I can munch
on while feeling superior well hold on
there is something you should probably
know according to the UCLA Civil Rights
Project the south is the least
segregated region for black students and
in fact New York State is now the most
segregated system in America
in large part due to New York City oh
we're standing
you will racist the whole time put back
those persons you bought yourselves as a
trip from fairway you don't deserve them
anymore and look it would still be
problematic even if these schools were
roughly equivalent academically as that
would still be a violation of the
principle of Brown versus Board of
Education that separate educational
facilities are inherently unequal but in
practice they are very rarely equal in
any way black and Latino children are
more likely to attend schools with
inexperienced teachers which are then
less likely to offer a college prep
curriculum on top of which because race
and class are inextricably linked those
students are six times as likely to be
in high poverty schools and while there
are teachers and students working
incredibly hard in those places they are
often doing so with fewer resources as
warm student learned during a school
exchange program once a year we do
what's called a school swap where
students that go to County High School's
attend a school in the city for one day
and then students in the city attend a
school in the county for one day I went
in and the first thing that I noticed
actually was all this stuff around her
I'm talking about stuff that looked like
it cost lots of money the teacher come
in they can get right on topic they have
multiple computers that they can use
it's like wow and then I related back to
my school well we don't have all that
okay I get what that program was trying
to do but it still seems cruel giving
students a glimpse of what other kids
are getting at least on a plane they
cover first class with a curtain and
sure they might still bake cookies and
waft the smell down the aisle but that's
just a with you so how is it possible
that our nation schools are by some
measures more segregated now than they
have been in over four decades well it
turns out places like New York haven't
so much resegregate 'add as never really
bothered integrating in the first place
because the 1964 Civil Rights Act was
very carefully crafted by northern
lawmakers it targeted the kind of
segregation by law which existed in the
south so you couldn't have a school that
was officially designated
whites-only but it exempted the
so-called racial imbalance of northern
schools so if a New York school was all
white because it was drawing from an
all-white area even if that area had
been kept that way due to a host of
explicitly racist housing policies that
was somehow fine and if you're thinking
that is some hypocritical you
are not alone Malcolm X was pointing
this out in New York at the time you
don't have to go to Mississippi to find
a segregated school system we have it
right here in New York City it shows
that the problems that there are the
white liberals have been pointing the
finger at this southern segregationist
and condemning them for exists right
here in New York City yeah of course
racism exists in New York have you never
seen West Side Story it is a musical
about love transcending the obstacle of
one person being Porto Rican it'll never
work and for what it's worth when on
rare occasions northern cities were
forced to desegregate things got just as
ugly as they did down south listen to
one Boston man described his memories of
being sent to a school in a white
neighborhood so my first day of school
was when we walked got off the school
bus was ID under step in white paint
go back home to Africa you got
all these whites out to you but right
you know you know signs calling us
you know go back home and then
did somebody saying kids you would see
in class so now you're like so what's up
with that yeah he's got a point there
they shall go home to Africa and then
sit beside you in class I do hope the
kids who heard that had the opportunity
to go oh you want to borrow a pencil
well I'm sorry I must have left mine in
Kenya this morning space
of the general paranoia surrounding this
issue back then just watch this trailer
for a movie called halls of anger a
handful of white students are
transferred to an all-black school you
know there's gonna be trouble vanilla
ice cream and I'm gonna take me a big
lick okay
that is clearly horrible but on a side
note using the terms chocolate and
vanilla is actually the best possible
argument for bringing races closer
together because what happens when you
combine chocolate and vanilla I'll tell
you what happens fudgie the
whale happens and it is superb and even
though the path to integration was rough
and the burden often fell
disproportionately on african-american
communities there were still clear
benefits because bringing in white
children also brought in resources to an
almost comical extent immediately when
the decision was made that white kids
would now be bused into West Charlotte
it was like a community joke like
overnight the gravel parking lot was
paved the athletic facilities in terms
of the football stadium basketball
gymnasium stuff was upgraded it was like
overnight someone had written a check
for a million dollars exactly funding
tends to follow white people around the
way white people follow the band fish
around it's a different show every time
man
last time I was rolling because I
snorted money off the communal
didgeridoo different show every time man
that man's school was in Charlotte North
Carolina a city which became a model for
how desegregation could be effective by
the end of the 1980s just 1 percent of
Latino children and 3 percent of black
children were attending schools
considered racially isolated that is 90%
or more minority and this was such a
point of pride that when President
Reagan visited and tried to talk
about Charlotte's system it didn't go
down too well they favored busing that
take centers and children out of the
neighborhood school and makes them pawns
in a social experiment that nobody wants
we found out it failed I don't call that
compassion Reagan got no reaction from
the crowd on that line I took great
offense to that not stopped across the
floor and said a few choice expletives
about to present it and cut out the TV
well that is some courtly southern
aggression I'm guessing his choice
expertise were heavens to Betsy that
really fried my grits and sir you are a
scoundrel without valor without Weller I
say
unfortunately what happened next in
Charlotte is basically the story of
desegregation in a nutshell because in
1997 a white parent got upset when his
daughter lost out in a lottery for a
magnet school which had reserved some
seats for black children and even though
she was still assigned to one of the top
ten elementary schools in the state he
filed a lawsuit I really believe that my
daughter's constitutional rights were
violated and as a concerned parent and a
responsible parent I hope I believed it
was my job to look after her well-being
okay sure but she was already in a
top-ten school and I do get making sure
that your kid has a good education is
one of the most important jobs a parent
can do it's right up there with lying
about not having a favorite child
because every parent has a favorite
child and it's Dylan it's not you it's
not any of your siblings it's Dylan just
ask your parents they like Dylan he does
his own laundry but but that man's
selfishness had a huge impact a federal
judge ruled in his favor vacating the
district's desegregation plan and
basically blowing up the whole thing and
tragically Charlotte then experienced
Swift re-segregation as by 2010 those 1
and 3 percent figures for Latinos and
blacks had grown to 44 and 47 percent
and I know it is tempting to be angry at
that one parent especially because and
this is true before the verdict even
came down he moved his family to
California which is the constitutional
challenge equivalent of farting in a
crowded elevator just as you're stepping
off of it
but to be fair this wasn't an isolated
incident all over the country
desegregation plans were struck down
thanks in part to Supreme Court rulings
making it easier to challenge them and
the prevailing narrative became that
desegregated desegregation imposed to
higher cost on students for a benefit
that was no longer necessary it's an
attitude that's best summed up by this
Louisiana State Senator do you think
that you have to bust children all over
a bossom long distance so you can say
you sit in a seat next to someone
diverse different from yourself the
Justice Department you know they achieve
their goal who can say we're not
desegregated you know an
african-american president we have an
african-american mayor here in Baton
Rouge what a majority white in the
parish we've been through all that and
there it is the idea that because
President Obama was elected systemic
racism was pretty much solved which is
absolutely absurd because racism is not
one of those things that just disappears
on its own in due time it's not like
chicken pox or Chewbacca mom and I know
I know I have just restarted the clock
on that one and I am genuinely sorry so
the only solution here is to be
proactive because remember if you just
assigned kids to their neighborhood
schools and their neighborhoods are
segregated you will have a segregated
school and clearly there are some
parents who it seems would resist just
about anything that might result in
integration just listen to how these
parents in st. Louis reacted to the idea
of students from a mostly black
community being added to their schools
so a big district send my son to a
better school when this one goes down
I deserve to not have to worry about my
children getting fat or getting robbed
because that B issue oh that is not
subtle
she's just a homies and a baggy pants
away from full dog whistle bingo and
look those parents are all extreme
examples but even if for a moment you
give everyone the benefit of the doubt
and you assume that all complaints about
bus schedules or class sizes are
actually just about buses or class sizes
the hard truth is you don't have to be
intentionally racist to do things that
have racist effects in the 60s if you
had insisted on separate lunch counters
not because you hated black people but
just because you loved your son so much
you wanted him to get his lunch quicker
the end result would have been exactly
the same and while I get the impulse to
seize every tiny advantage you can for
your kid I get that segregated schools
cause devastating harm to actual
children and not just to their education
but to their very sense of self-worth
you don't have support at all we have
black books resources anything you can
think of but when we go in contact with
these white children or a subset
Caucasian they don't know how to act
because they believe that they're better
than us and we don't know how to act
because we believe that they're better
than us and that is heartbreaking
because classrooms should teach children
about the importance of self-esteem not
rip it from them because that is what
prom is for and and there can be lasting
positive impacts to integration not
because the mere act of having a white
classmate is somehow magic it's not
unless of course that kid has round
glasses or scar on his forehead and sits
alone on parents visiting day but but
getting to attend a good middle-class
school can be transformative Berkeley
professor Rocco Johnson studied black
siblings where one went to a
desegregated school and the other didn't
and not only did those exposed to more
years of desegregation fare better but
their kids did too and that is not all
blacks who attended desegregated
elementary schools were more likely to
graduate and
22% less likely to be incarcerated as
adults
what is more Johnson found that the
narrowing of the achievement gap and the
increased success of black Americans did
not have any negative effect on whites
on any metric so it was good for black
people and have no effect on white
people whatsoever it's like this
canister of black and sassy cream shine
I am pretty sure I can make that joke
hold on hold on which writer pitched in
that doesn't help the point is for
white children a lack of experience with
people of other races can have serious
downsides just watch one young girl take
a racial bias test show me the good
child why is she the good child connect
into a fight move okay show me the bad
child why is she the bad child she's a
lot darker what do you think shocking to
you I just think it's because she's not
exposed exactly and that is why it is
important to expose kids to other races
at a young age you don't want your child
playing guess who and a birthday party
and asking is this person bad to rule
out anyone who isn't white and what and
while yes you can absolutely teach kids
about racism in the abstract if your
school is overwhelmingly white important
nuances can get lost as this second
grader found after making a bold choice
for a school project I have a dream
today I have a dream that my four little
children
they live in a nation sean is portraying
a historical figure assigned by his
teacher
well monolith the King jr. he said mom I
want to wear suit because that's what he
wore and a black tie and I have to wear
a white shirt and he said I'm also I
want to play you know do my face and
black they thought it was inappropriate
and it would be disrespectful to black
people but I say that it's not I like
that people okay
first Wow second it is obviously not
that kids fault II didn't know any
better and finally if Martin Luther King
jr. could see that clip I legitimately
don't know whether he'd be thrilled or
horrified he might actually be both he'd
be like wow I really made a difference
to a point so so the benefits of truly
diverse schools are obvious the problem
is often just our willingness to do it
at all and to their credit some school
districts including Charlotte and now
looking for ways to fix things and there
are models small and large around the
country for what can work Boston has
long had a voluntary program to send
kids from the city to schools in the
suburbs it's tiny but it's wildly
popular and Louisville has created a
complicated school assignment formula
that has resulted in more integrated
schools it is not perfect and they've
had to tweak it a lot but it is worth
knowing that under that program
90% of kindergarten families still
received their first choice of schools
which is impressive because I doubt 90%
of those families even received their
first choice of kindergartner I mean
she's great she's great she she draws on
a lot of things but she's great she's
she's fine she's absolutely fine she's
no Dylan of course because as we all
know Dylan is the best and everyone
should be invested in those sorts of
solutions because because while this
always gets framed as an issue about
parents and their children
it's actually about adults and everybody
because kids grow up and those little
doctors soldiers police officers and
superheroes asking you for candy
tomorrow night well in a decade or so
they might be actual doctors soldiers
police officers and assistant directors
of human resources
and there are massive and multiple
benefits for all of us if they
interacted a lot more from an early age
and I know this seems like a lot to ask
but in the words of a small white child
dressed as a dead civil rights leader I
have a dream
you
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