Busing

In the wake of equal opportunity pursuits, busing children away from their neighborhoods into racially homogenous schools was considered a valuable option in an attempt to create equal access to public elementary and secondary education. This strategy was used throughout northern and southern states as one method of school desegregation, beginning in the 1970s. Busing for racial balance meant that each school was to be a reflection of the larger community, with the goal of eradicating racially identifiable schools. Responses to busing differed greatly along racial lines, and the strategy received both support and criticism. As a result of the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954, the doctrine of “separate but equal” was deemed unconstitutional, and the Supreme Court set the path for desegregating public education. In Brown II in 1955, the Supreme Court ruled that states were responsible for creating and maintaining equal educational opportunities for all students.

In the years following Brown II, from 1955 until 1965, segregation in schools was still widespread. The Supreme Court's mandate of desegregating schools “at all deliberate speed” had shown rather small increments of improvement. In the Deep South, black students entered predominantly white schools in small numbers, and even fewer white students entered predominantly black schools. These same trends held true throughout northern states. In effect, segregated schooling had continued at all levels of education. The maintenance of segregated schools was primarily because of widespread segregated housing patterns, especially in urban cities. Residential patterns [Page 91]had developed along racial lines and had progressed from non-whites being denied access to inner-city living to white residents maintaining racial homogeny in selected city neighborhoods and in suburban cities. The residential patterns were mainly from local, state, and federal legislations that were complicit in establishing racially exclusive neighborhoods. In fact, residential segregation was intensified by zoning ordinances, racially restrictive covenants, construction programs, and urban renewal. Thus, students needed to cross neighborhood lines in order for desegregation to take form.