School Segregation: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

Summary

The 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

• 🏫 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.
• 📚 Contrary to common assumptions, the South is not the most segregated region for black students; New York State holds that distinction.
• 👧👦 Segregation affects educational quality, as black and Latino children are more likely to attend schools with less experienced teachers and fewer resources.
• 🎓 The principle that 'separate educational facilities are inherently unequal' from Brown v. Board of Education is still relevant today.
• 🔍 The 1964 Civil Rights Act inadvertently allowed for continued segregation in the North due to exemptions for 'racial imbalance' not caused by law.
• 🗽 New York City's segregated schools are a legacy of racially biased housing policies and a lack of true integration efforts.
• 🚌 Desegregation efforts have faced backlash and legal challenges, leading to a resurgence of school segregation in some areas.
• 📉 Desegregation has been shown to have long-term benefits, including improved graduation rates and reduced incarceration rates for African Americans.
• 👀 Exposure to diverse environments from an early age is crucial for combating racial bias and fostering understanding among children.
• 🌐 Systemic racism is not solved by the election of high-profile individuals like President Obama; it requires ongoing, proactive measures.
• 🔄 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

00:00

🏫 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.

05:02

🚌 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.

10:04

🌐 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.

15:05

👦👧 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.

Keywords

💡Racism

Racism is a belief that one race is superior to others, often resulting in discrimination and prejudice towards people based on their race or ethnicity. In the video, racism is discussed in the context of school segregation, where it is portrayed as a systemic issue that contributes to the separation of students based on their racial backgrounds.

💡School Segregation

School segregation refers to the physical or legal separation of students into different schools based on their race. The script highlights the increase in racially segregated schools and discusses its negative impact on education and society, emphasizing that it violates the principle of Brown v. Board of Education.

💡Brown v. Board of Education

Brown v. Board of Education is a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional. The video uses this case to underscore the historical context and legal stance against segregated schools.

💡Racial Imbalance

Racial imbalance in schools refers to a significant disparity in the racial composition of a school compared to the overall population. The script points out that the 1964 Civil Rights Act did not address the racial imbalance in northern schools, which contributed to ongoing segregation.

💡Desegregation

Desegregation is the process of ending racial segregation, particularly in schools. The video discusses desegregation efforts, both successful and unsuccessful, and the societal resistance and legal challenges that have arisen in response to these efforts.

💡Civil Rights Act of 1964

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a landmark piece of U.S. legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The script mentions this act in the context of its limitations regarding school segregation in the North.

💡Racial Bias

Racial bias refers to a preference or prejudice for one race over another, often leading to unfair treatment. The video script includes an example of a child's racial bias test, illustrating how lack of exposure to different races can lead to biased perceptions.

💡Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is the value and respect a person holds for themselves. The script discusses how segregated schools can negatively impact the self-esteem of students by creating an environment where they feel inferior or superior based on their race.

💡Achievement Gap

The achievement gap refers to the disparity in academic performance between different groups of students, often related to race or socioeconomic status. The video mentions a study showing that desegregation can help narrow the achievement gap without negatively affecting other racial groups.

💡Incarceration

Incarceration refers to the act of confining someone in prison. The script cites research indicating that black individuals who attended desegregated schools were less likely to be incarcerated as adults, suggesting a link between educational environment and long-term life outcomes.

💡Diversity

Diversity refers to the range of differences among people, including race, ethnicity, and culture. The video argues for the benefits of diversity in schools, stating that exposure to different races and cultures can lead to better understanding, reduced prejudice, and improved social skills.

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