From Segregation to Integration: Unpacking the Legacy of 'Separate but Equal' in American Education
Education has always been considered the foundation of opportunity in America, but Part III of School: The Story of American Public Education forces us to confront the ways in which access to quality education has been shaped by race, class, and policy decisions. This section focuses on the legacy of Brown v. Board of Education, the desegregation efforts of the mid-20th century, and the ongoing challenges of educational equity in a system that, despite legal rulings, remains deeply segregated in many ways. One of the biggest questions this section raises is whether separate but equal is a viable option in education today. Historically, the Plessy v. Ferguson ruling in 1896 established the doctrine of separate but equal, which justified the segregation of public facilities, including schools. The reality, of course, was that segregated Black schools were vastly underfunded and lacked the resources available to white students. Brown v. Board of Education (1954) overturned Plessy, ruling ...