School racial segregation

2006
united states

Racial segregation in schools refers to the separation of students based on their race or ethnicity. This practice was particularly prevalent in the United States during the period of legal segregation known as the Jim Crow era, which lasted from the late 19th century until the mid-20th century.

During this time, laws were implemented that enforced racial segregation in many aspects of life, including education. African American students were often forced to attend separate schools that were typically underfunded, poorly equipped, and staffed by underqualified teachers. These schools were known as "separate but equal" schools, although the reality was that they were far from equal to the schools attended by white students.

The landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 declared racial segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional. The Court ruled that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." This decision was a major victory for the Civil Rights Movement and marked the beginning of efforts to desegregate schools across the United States.

Despite the legal end to racial segregation, de facto segregation in schools still exists in many parts of the United States today. This occurs as a result of residential patterns and socioeconomic inequalities that lead to racially homogenous neighborhoods and, consequently, schools. Efforts to address this issue include policies aimed at promoting diversity and integration in schools, such as busing programs and affirmative action in school admissions.

Further reading

Flores R.M.V.; Scorzafave L.G.D.D.S. (2014) "Effect of racial segregation on proficiency of Brazilian elementary school students", EconomiA, 15(1), pp. 20-29. National Association of Postgraduate Centers in Economics, ANPEC. DOI: 10.1016/j.econ.2014.03.001

Echenique F.; Fryer Jr. R.G. (2007) "A measure of segregation based on social interactions", Quarterly Journal of Economics, 122(2), pp. 441-485. . DOI: 10.1162/qjec.122.2.441

Ryabov I. (2013) "The influence of co racial versus inter racial peer friendships on academic achievement of Asian American adolescents", Asian American Journal of Psychology, 4(3), pp. 201-210. . DOI: 10.1037/a0029789

Mann B.; Rogers A. (2023) "The Inequality of the Long Game in a City With School Choice and Changing Racial Demographics", Urban Education, -. SAGE Publications Inc.. DOI: 10.1177/00420859231153415

Oh S.J.; Sohn H. (2021) "The impact of the school choice policy on student sorting: evidence from Seoul, South Korea", Policy Studies, 42(4), pp. 415-436. Routledge. DOI: 10.1080/01442872.2019.1618807

Morris D.S. (2021) "Challenging the Stereotype that Minority Segregated Schools are Unsafe: Are Crime and Violence Really More Prevalent in Segregated Minority High Schools?", Race Ethnicity and Education, -. Routledge. DOI: 10.1080/13613324.2021.1937093

McCardle T. (2020) "Race Tracks: Career Aspirations and Feelings of Isolation in the Mainstream Classroom", Education and Urban Society, 52(2), pp. 284-311. SAGE Publications Inc.. DOI: 10.1177/0013124519846277

Condron D.J.; Tope D.; Steidl C.R.; Freeman K.J. (2013) "Racial Segregation and the Black/White Achievement Gap, 1992 to 2009", Sociological Quarterly, 54(1), pp. 130-157. . DOI: 10.1111/tsq.12010

Donnor J.K. (2013) "Education as the property of whites: African Americans’ continued quest for good schools", Handbook of Critical Race Theory in Education, 195-203. Taylor and Francis. DOI: 10.4324/9780203155721

Brooks J.W.; Arnold N.W.; Brooks M.C. (2013) "Educational leadership and racism: A narrative inquiry into second generation segregation", Teachers College Record, 115(11), pp. -. Teachers College, Columbia University. DOI: [1]

Reardon S.F.; Grewal E.T.; Kalogrides D.; Greenberg E. (2012) "Brown Fades: The End of Court Ordered School Desegregation and the Resegregation of American Public Schools", Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 31(4), pp. 876-904. . DOI: 10.1002/pam.21649

Condron D.J. (2009) "Social class, school and non school environments, and black/white inequalities in children's learning", American Sociological Review, 74(5), pp. 683-708. American Sociological Association. DOI: 10.1177/000312240907400501

Vigdor J.L.; Ludwig J. (2008) "Segregation and the test score gap", Steady Gains and Stalled Progress: Inequality and The Black-White Test Score Gap, 181-211. Russell Sage Foundation. DOI: [2]

Reardon S.F.; Yun J.T.; Kurlaender M. (2006) "Implications of income based school assignment policies for racial school segregation", Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 28(1), pp. 49-75. . DOI: 10.3102/01623737028001049

Reardon S.F.; Yun J.T.; Eitle T.M. (2000) "The changing structure of school segregation: Measurement and evidence of multiracial metropolitan area school segregation, 1989 1995", Demography, 37(3), pp. 351-364. Duke University Press. DOI: 10.2307/2648047