Your Turn: Why are schools still segregated?

In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. Today, U.S. schools are more segregated than they were four decades ago.  Around 40 percent of Black and Latino students in the United States are in schools that are over 90 percent Black and Latino. These are often high-poverty schools too, according to a 2009 study by UCLA’s Civil Rights Project. It is not just Blacks and Latinos who are racially isolated.  White students go to schools that are 77 percent white and 32 percent poor.

Kid Reporter SHEMAR WILSON, age 13, interviewed these people at his school, the East Flatbush Community Research School, in Brooklyn, New York.

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When Black people were freed from slavery, they had to be in separate schools and I guess they got used to it being that way. –Tahiem Wolfe, 13


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“Some white people… don’t think that their kids should go to a school that is populated with Blacks.” –Sefton Wright, 13


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“People are comfortable in their neighborhoods with the same race and then that creates segregation.” –Ms. Shah, a teacher


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“Probably because white people still think that Black people should be slaves.” –Alisia, 12


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“Because New York City is one of the most segregated cities in the United States. Until our neighborhoods become more diverse, then the schools will continue to be segregated.” –Mr. Manning, a principal

3 thoughts on “Your Turn: Why are schools still segregated?”

  1. I wish school wasnt segragated im my school there are a lot of white peple and less black people and most of the white people call black people the n word

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