Why Are Schools Still So Segregated?

Summary

This video script discusses the resurgence of racial segregation in American schools, despite the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling over 60 years ago. It highlights how the average white student attends a predominantly white school and the increase in high-poverty schools with mostly Black or Hispanic students. The script also touches on the historical resistance to integration, the impact of white flight, and the differing perspectives on the importance of diversity in education. It raises questions about the long-term effects of segregation on students' opportunities and the role of government in promoting school integration.

Takeaways

• 📚 If you've taken a U.S. history class, you've likely seen photos suggesting school segregation was resolved and is now a thing of the past.
• 🌍 Today's school-age population in America is more racially diverse than ever before.
• 🚸 Despite this diversity, schools are reportedly becoming more racially segregated.
• 📊 The average white student attends a school that's over 70% white.
• 📈 The percentage of high-poverty schools with mostly Black or Hispanic students has more than doubled since 2000.
• 🗞️ Stories in the news highlight increasing school segregation.
• ⚖️ Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark Supreme Court decision over 60 years ago that aimed to end school segregation.
• 🚌 Southern schools integrated in the 1970s and 80s due to programs like cross-district busing, significantly improving Black student achievement.
• 🚪 The end of forced busing programs and white flight have contributed to re-segregation in schools.
• 🏫 Hyper-segregated schools, with almost no white students, have tripled nationwide.
• 🗺️ School segregation is now worse in northern states like New York, Illinois, and California than in the south.
• 📜 Segregation based on race is still illegal, but many communities are self-segregating.
• 🏘️ Some argue this self-segregation is about parents wanting the best for their kids and choosing neighborhood schools.
• 🤝 Diversity advocates argue that integrated schools benefit all students and that re-segregation harms low-income Black and Latino students.
• 💡 Segregated schools often have fewer resources, less experienced teachers, and lower achievement rates, impacting long-term student success.

Q & A

What impression might the photos from a U.S. history class give about school segregation?

The photos might give the impression that school segregation was a big problem in the past, but it has been resolved and is no longer an issue.

What is the current racial diversity situation in America's school age population?

Today, America's school age population is more racially diverse than ever before, which might lead one to assume that classrooms are more racially mixed.

What recent data indicates about the racial composition of schools?

The most recent data shows that the average white student attends a school that is more than 70% white, suggesting increased racial segregation.

What was the landmark Supreme Court decision that made school segregation policies illegal?

The landmark Supreme Court decision was Brown v. Board of Education, which was over 60 years ago and ruled that racially separate schools were inherently unequal.

How did federal courts initially respond to the Brown v. Board of Education decision?

Initially, many white communities in the south fiercely resisted the new rules, and it wasn't until about a decade later that federal courts forced districts to de-segregate.

What programs were implemented in the 1970s and 80s to integrate southern schools?

Programs like cross-district busing were implemented, which brought students from different communities to the same schools, leading to increased integration.

What was the impact of school integration on Black student achievement according to historical studies?

Historical studies show that school integration had an overwhelmingly positive impact on Black student achievement, with no negative impacts for white students.

What led to the decline of school integration programs and the rise of re-segregation?

A new generation of conservative judges rejected the idea of federal involvement in local school integration, and phenomena like white flight contributed to the decline of integration programs and the rise of re-segregation.

What is the current trend of school segregation according to UCLA's Civil Rights Project?

According to UCLA's Civil Rights Project, the number of hyper-segregated public schools across the country has tripled, indicating a significant re-segregation trend.

Why do some people argue that the current trend of re-segregation is a natural change?

Some argue that it's a natural change because parents from diverse backgrounds want the best for their kids, which often means attending a neighborhood school without long bus rides.

What are the arguments from diversity advocates regarding the impact of segregated schools on students?

Diversity advocates argue that segregated schools negatively impact low-income Black and Latino students, who are more likely to attend schools with fewer resources and lower achievement rates, affecting their long-term opportunities.

Outlines

00:00

📚 The Illusion of Desegregation in American Schools

This paragraph discusses the misconception that school segregation in the U.S. has been resolved. It highlights the current racial diversity among school-age populations and challenges the assumption of integrated classrooms. The script points out recent data showing that the average white student attends a school that is over 70% white and mentions a study indicating an increase in high-poverty schools with predominantly Black or Hispanic students. The paragraph sets the stage for an exploration of the history and current state of school segregation.

05:00

🏛️ A Brief History of School Segregation and Resistance to Integration

The second paragraph provides a historical context for school segregation, starting with the landmark Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision that ruled segregation policies illegal. It describes the resistance from white communities in the South and the eventual integration efforts through federal court intervention and programs like cross-district busing. The paragraph details the positive impact of integration on Black student achievement and the subsequent backlash from conservative judges and communities, leading to a decline in integration and an increase in 'white flight' to suburban areas. The summary also addresses the current trend of re-segregation, particularly in northern states with high rates of school segregation, and presents differing viewpoints on the importance of diversity in schools for the benefit of all students.

Keywords

💡School Segregation

School segregation refers to the separation of students within a school system based on race. In the context of the video, it highlights the historical practice of racially dividing students, which was deemed illegal by the landmark Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education. The script discusses the resurgence of racial segregation in schools despite the legal strides made to integrate them.

💡Brown v. Board of Education

Brown v. Board of Education is a landmark Supreme Court case that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional. The video script mentions this case as a pivotal moment in the fight against school segregation, emphasizing its role in making racially separate schools illegal.

💡Racially Diverse

The term 'racially diverse' describes a population that includes individuals from various racial or ethnic backgrounds. The video script uses this term to describe the current demographic makeup of America's school-age population, suggesting that despite this diversity, classrooms are not as racially mixed as one might assume.

💡White Flight

White flight refers to the large-scale migration of predominantly white, middle-class families from urban areas to the suburbs, often motivated by a desire to avoid racial integration. In the script, it is mentioned as one of the factors contributing to the re-segregation of schools, as it leads to a concentration of white students in suburban schools.

💡Hyper-Segregated Schools

Hyper-segregated schools are educational institutions where one racial or ethnic group is overwhelmingly dominant, to the extent that there are virtually no students from other racial backgrounds. The video script cites a study indicating that the number of such schools has tripled, illustrating a concerning trend of re-segregation.

💡Cross-District Busing

Cross-district busing is a policy that involves transporting students across school district boundaries to achieve racial desegregation. The script mentions this as a program that helped integrate southern schools in the 1970s and 80s, showing its importance in the historical context of school desegregation efforts.

💡Conservative Judges

In the video script, 'conservative judges' are mentioned as part of a new generation that rejects the idea of federal government involvement in forcing local schools to integrate. This stance is significant as it reflects a shift in legal philosophy and its impact on policies related to school integration.

💡Racial Equality

Racial equality is the principle that all individuals should have equal rights and opportunities, regardless of their racial background. The video discusses the implications of school segregation on racial equality, arguing that diverse schools contribute positively to the fight against racial inequality.

💡Diversity Advocates

Diversity advocates are individuals or groups that support the inclusion of people from different racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. In the script, they argue against the re-segregation of schools, stating that diverse educational environments have a positive impact on all students and prepare them for a diverse world.

💡Low-Income Students

The term 'low-income students' refers to students from families with limited financial resources. The video script highlights the negative impact of school segregation on these students, as they are more likely to attend under-resourced schools with fewer opportunities for academic success.

💡Achievement Gap

The achievement gap refers to the disparity in academic performance between different groups of students, often related to factors such as socioeconomic status or race. The script discusses how segregated schools can exacerbate this gap, particularly for low-income Black and Latino students who face challenges in under-resourced schools.

Highlights

Photos often give the impression that school segregation was a past problem that has been resolved.

Despite America's racially diverse school age population, classrooms are not as mixed as one might assume.

Recent data shows that the average white student attends a school that is over 70% white.

High-poverty schools with mostly Black or Hispanic students have more than doubled since 2000.

Over 60 years have passed since the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision that made school segregation illegal.

Southern schools began to integrate in the 1970s and 80s due to federal court interventions and programs like cross-district busing.

Integration had a positive impact on Black student achievement with no negative effects for white students.

Conservative judges and white flight contributed to the decline of integration efforts.

UCLA's Civil Rights Project found a tripling in the number of hyper-segregated public schools.

School segregation is worse in the north, with states like New York and California having the highest rates.

Forced segregation is illegal, but without aggressive integration policies, communities self-segregate.

Some view the shift towards neighborhood schools as a natural change, not racially motivated.

Diversity advocates argue that segregated schools negatively impact low-income Black and Latino students.

Segregated schools often have fewer resources, less experienced teachers, and lower achievement rates.

The impact of school segregation can influence long-term outcomes like college attendance and job prospects.

The video invites viewers to share their thoughts on school diversity and its impact on their education.

Transcripts

(upbeat music)

- If you've ever taken a U.S. history class,

you've most likely seen photos like these.

Ones that might give the impression that school segregation

used to be big problem and then we took care of it,

and now it's a thing of the past.

Today America's school age population

is more racially diverse than ever before,

and that all might lead you to assume

that America's classrooms are a whole lot more mixed

than they used to be, progress right?

(upbeat music)

There's been all these stories in the news

that basically say that schools are actually getting

more racially segregated.

- The most recent data shows the average white student

goes to a school that's more than 70% white.

- [Male] The study ordered by Congress found the percentage

of high-poverty schools with mostly

Black or Hispanic students has more than doubled since 2000.

- So what's the real story here?

Okay, first a super quick history lesson, hang with me.

It's been more than 60 years since

Brown v. Board of Education,

the landmark Supreme Court decision

that tossed out the argument that schools could be

racially separate but still equal.

It was pretty obvious that conditions in Black schools

were almost always much worse than in white ones.

The court made a unanimous decision that Black students

were being denied a quality education

and made school segregation policies illegal.

Problem solved, right?

Actually not right away.

A lot of white communities in the south

fiercely resisted the new rules for years.

- And I say segregation now, segregation tomorrow,

and segregation forever.

(cheering)

- It wasn't until about a decade later when federal courts

literally forced districts to de-segregate

that things started to change.

Southern schools really started to integrate

in the 1970's and 80's because of new programs

like cross-district busing that brought a mix of kids

from different communities to the same schools.

In 1968, more than three quarters

of all Black students in the south

attended hyper-segregated schools.

20 years later, that rate had dropped

to less than a quarter of all students.

There are lots of historical studies showing

that this change had an overwhelming positive impact

on Black student achievement,

with pretty much no negative impacts for white students.

But not everyone was happy

with a more racially integrated school system.

A new generation of conservative judges

rejected the idea that the federal government

should be in the business of forcing

local schools to integrate.

Districts throughout the south and some in the north too,

begin to drop their controversial busing programs,

which many community members had rebelled against for years.

There were other factors too,

including what's called white flight,

when a large number of mostly white middle-class communities

move from urban areas to the suburbs.

The result, there's been a massive drop

in the number of schools that have a balanced mix

of students who are white

and students who are Black and Latino.

According to a study by UCLA's Civil Rights Project,

the number of hyper-segregated public schools

across the country,

those with pretty much no white students, has tripled.

This re-segregation trend has been the most dramatic

in the south, but before you northern liberals

get too high and mighty,

you should know that segregation is actually worse

in the north.

In fact, the states with

the highest rates of school segregation

are almost all northern left-leaning ones,

like New York, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey,

and yes, even California.

So in other words,

forced segregation is still against the law.

A school can't reject a student

just because of the color of his skin,

but without being aggressively pushed to integrate,

many communities are still self-segregating.

Some local activists see this as natural change,

"It's not a racial thing," they argue,

it's about parents from diverse backgrounds

wanting the best for their kids,

and that means going to a neighborhood school

that they don't have to take a long bus ride to get to,

and where they'll be with other kids from their community.

It'd be one thing they say,

if a kid was prohibited from attending a school

just because of the color of his skin,

but those days are long gone.

Now they say it's about choice

and the government shouldn't be in the business

of making kids shlep across town

just for the sake of diversity.

Diversity advocates argue that what's going on here

is a major step backwards in the fight for racial equality.

For one they say, diverse schools

have a positive influence on all students,

both white and minority.

It makes students more comfortable with diversity,

reduces prejudices and stereotypes,

and better prepares them for success in the real world.

And studies have repeatedly shown that segregated schools

have a disproportionately negative impact

for low-income Black and Latino students.

These students are more likely to attend schools

where the majority of their classmates are poor,

and these school generally have fewer resources,

less experienced teachers, and lower rates of achievement.

And all of that can have long-term effects,

influencing everything from the chances of

graduating from high school and going to college

to getting a higher paying job.

So, what do you think?

How diverse is your school?

And how's that affected your education?

Let us know in the comments below,

and if you like this video,

be sure to check out this other one we did on immigration

and this one gerrymandering.

Thanks for watching.