Arguments On Desegregation
The challenge of desegregating schools was brought upon in 1954 by five separate court cases, ultimately joined together and called Brown v. The Board of Education. Though each case was different, they all revolved around the main argument that segregation itself violated the "equal protection under the laws" guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment, and had detrimental psychological effects on Negroes. Segregation was almost always initiated by whites, and initiated on the basis that blacks were inferior and undesirable. A sense of inferiority affects the motivation of a child to learn. When blacks allowed themselves to accept their status at the separate school, the effect on their personalities was perpetually worse than any problem they might encounter in an integrated school. This element became a prominent part of the legal case against segregation (Stephan 9). The biggest argument against desegregation was the perception that blacks were not as intelligent as whites. Since the Fourteenth Amendment did not guarantee the right to a quality education, if a school chose not to accept them, there was nothing that could be done legally. Long after the "separate but equal" doctrine bec
The busing issue was considered to be "an educational disaster." Whereas previously, black children had been bused long distances to segregated schools, now they were busing white children to integrated schools. It didn't help the minority children and it hurt the middle-class children, creating conflicts where they weren't any before. The white middle-class families who felt violated by having blacks being bused into their schools and neighborhoods fostered hostilities. When rioting broke out, it became so serious that the police and National Guard were called in to protect the black students. In addition, it increased educational costs with the addition of new buses and the salaries of the drivers, and jeopardized the health and safety of children (Stephan 123). The expenditure disparity between white and black children was enormous in some areas of the country. In the South, the average expenditure for white children was $44.00, but was only $13.00 for black children. In Georgia, the figures were $35.00 versus $6.00 and in Mississippi, $45.00 versus $5.00. Considering the national average per pupil expenditure was $99.00, it was clear that the school system was separate and unequal and blacks were not receiving their fair share (Stephan 8). Another major argument regarding desegregation was the fact that there was de jure (by law) segregation in the south and de facto (by geography) segregation in the north, with the differentiating factor being "purpose or int
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Approximate Word count = 1008
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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