The Dream of Integration & the Politics of Resegregation: The Continuing Battle over the Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education

Seventy years of history since Brown encompass many political changes, with 18 presidential terms and historic changes in the nation’s population: A society with more than 80% White students at the time of Brown has become a society with a majority of non-White students. Desegregation produced major lasting gains in the short period of time it was seriously implemented and many experiences were positive. What were the politics and policies that reversed this momentum? Understanding how to further school integration requires understanding the history and politics that drove changes.