Confronting Racial Injustice: Boston School Desegregation through the Rearview Mirror

In 1972, a group of African American parents sued city and state officials over segregation within the Boston Public Schools. After a trial, a federal court determined that the Boston School Committee had intentionally discriminated on the basis of race by operating a dual school system that extended to school assignments, facilities, and staffing. When officials failed to produce a timely remedy, the court ordered institutional reforms, including re-districting and the re-assignment of students. In this program, panelists will reflect on the lessons to be learned from Boston’s school desegregation experience.

Moderator:

Matthew F. Delmont, Sherman Fairchild Distinguished Professor of History, Dartmouth College

Speakers:

Martha Minow, 300th Anniversary University Professor, Harvard University, and Former Dean, Harvard Law School; Becky Shuster, Assistant Superintendent of Equity, Boston Public Schools; Rachel E. Twymon, whose family was profiled in J. Anthony Lukas’ Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Common Ground

Developed by the Northeastern University School of Law Criminal Justice Task Force, Confronting Racial Injustice is a free, five-part series hosted by the Massachusetts Historical Society and sponsored by a number of Boston-area organizations.

Image courtesy of Spencer Grant.