How Diverse is your School?

Oct 10

Critical Analysis

Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, your big brain, the information provided and any links below:

Based on the data from the chart above, what percentage of White students attend public schools where over half of the students are White?
What racial or ethnic group in America is most likely to attend a school with students from different racial and ethnic backgrounds?
Why do you think that even 50+ years after Brown v. Board, 78% of White students still go to majority White schools?
Before Brown v. Board of Education (1954), by law, most students (especially students in the South) were forced to attend segregated schools. In fact, had the chart above existed in 1954, almost 100% for White and Black children would have gone to school with only students of their own racial and ethnic background. We are now over a half-century past Brown v. Board. What do you imagine the data from the chart above will look like in 50 more years?
In 1896, in Plessy v. Ferguson, the Supreme Court ruled that “separate but equal” (which meant segregation of schools, movie theaters, train cars, water fountains, swimming pools, and many public aspects of life) was constitutional. 58 years later, Brown v. Board struck down the Separate but Equal doctrine, ruling that segregation was unconstitutional. Upon what Constitutional basis did The Brown ruling rest?
Many, but not all Americans supported the Plessy ruling and the American segregation of 1896. What had changed in American culture and society that led many Americans to oppose strict American racial segregation and apartheid by 1950.
Imagine that you wanted to write an essay to argue that American schools should be more integrated. What principle of American government might support your argument for integrated schools?
Imagine that you wanted to bring a suit to court to force American schools to be more integrated. What specific part of the Constitution would you use as the basis for an argument that the rights of American students are being violated.
Describe the demographics of your current school and explain how it would fit on the chart above.
Based on the data from the chart below* how has racial segregation changed over the past two decades and how does geography impact school segregation today?