CONTEMPORARY SEGREGATION SINCE BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION: THE ROLE OF WHITE PARENTS

Abstract

Brown v. Board of Education is one of the U.S. Supreme Court’s most infamous cases, yet its success is questionable. Black and Hispanic students continue to attend schools as segregated as they were at the time of Brown’s passing. Not only are schools still segregated, but they are also vastly unequal in resources. In this review of Brown’s legacy, I underscore counternarratives to the case’s primary success story which may contribute to contemporary segregation. Subsequent case rollbacks, the impact of the Congress and the executive branch, and interest convergences and divergences had profound effects on Brown’s realization. I especially focus on the role White parents play in school desegregation and resource redistribution. Furthermore, I suggest two desegregation techniques through a case study of one school district in Brooklyn, New York. First, voluntary integration may be possible through cooperation strategies used in the Prisoner’s Dilemma. If circumstances are not ideal for voluntary integration, convergent values of diversity and inclusion may create the necessary environment for White parents to call for robust desegregation plans. However, if these plans are to be successful, White parents must include marginalized voices at the forefront of policy decisions.