%20This%20isn't%20mentioned%20much,%20but%20after%20the%20historic%201954%20Brown%20v%20Board%20of%20Education%20ruling%20that%20said%20school%20segregation%20was%20unconstitutional,%20overall%20segregation%20in%20America%20actually%20INCREASED.%20Most%20White%20American%20families%20simply%20didn't%20want%20their%20kids%20going%20to%20school%20with%20Black%20kids,%20and%20many%20voiced%20their%20displeasure%20in%20different%20ways.%20Some%20closed%20schools.%20Others%20just%20didn't%20integrate.%20And%20many%20residents%20moved%20into%20all-white%20neighborhoods,%20whose%20property%20developers%20made%20sure%20school%20districts%20in%20their%20areas%20kept%20Black%20kids%20and%20teenagers%20away%20from%20White)
How Civil Disobedience Helps Overcome Oppression: Part 16
“How Boston Schools Got Integrated”
(The FINAL clip of series)
This isn’t mentioned much, but after the historic 1954 Brown v Board of Education ruling that said school segregation was unconstitutional, overall segregation in America actually INCREASED.
Most White American families simply didn’t want their kids going to school with Black kids, and many voiced their displeasure in different ways. Some closed schools. Others just didn’t integrate.
And many residents moved into all-white neighborhoods, whose property developers made sure school districts in their areas kept Black kids and teenagers away from White schools.
One city that did that was in Boston. There were White (Italian & Irish-American) areas and Black areas, meaning there were White schools and Black schools. But the schools didn’t get the same resources. The all-white Boston school committee knew about it but refused to acknowledge the problem.
As a result, in 1965 the “Racial Imbalance Act” by the Massachusetts General Court made segregation of public schools illegal in their state. All public schools needed to be integrated by the 1966 school year or lose funding.
Boston’s school committee still refused to follow.
Finally, after a 1972 NAACP class-action lawsuit, Massachusetts Judge W. Arthur Garrity Jr said the Racial Imbalance Act needed to be implemented, and issued a solution: Forced busing from schools in different areas depending on their high school class (sophomores and juniors bused to different schools, etc).
What followed is now known as the Boston Busing Crisis. It was an event that shaped Boston for years to come and either positively or negatively affected the city, depending on who you ask.
View Part 15 here.
View Part 1 here.
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**FINAL NOTE:
You just watched the final video of our multi-part series on how Civil Disobedience has been the main catalyst that has overcome oppression in the U.S.
Civil disobedience is the solution to implement solutions that will bring this country in the right direction. The other solution is mass bloodshed, and most people don’t want that.
So if you ever feel you’re in a hopeless situation and you want a FORCED solution, check out our series once again.
