In 1954, the Supreme Court declared that separate but equal has no place in our public schools. Yet more than six decades later, our schools remain deeply segregated—by race and by class. What happened?
The president just signed a truly monstrous piece of legislation into law. Much has been written about the impacts on health, climate and the debt, but there is a lesser known evil lurking in this bill – a national school voucher plan. It’s temping to lose hope, but there is something each of us can do.
As we head toward May 17th—the 71st anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education—we reflect on the work of those who came before us, on the changes that landmark decision wrought, and yes, on the ways that Brown’s promise was curtailed and undermined. Public schools need us all now more than ever.
The problem, of course, is school segregation. And in 2024, fully seventy years after the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that separate is inherently unequal and that segregation itself is unconstitutional, it is a problem we all still live with.
This playlist examines how real estate, zoning, and housing policies create, interact, and connect to segregation. For example, episodes in this playlist look at the historical legacy of redlining and how redlining still affects segregation today. Episodes also discuss gentrification from a first-hand experience and perspective, and episodes examine the complicated racial history and politics of The Suburbs.