DQ Response History

Discussion Question Response

In response to your peers, explain what you learned from reading their post and how their thesis statement compares to your own. You may respond to peers who selected either of the two thesis statements.

Brook Phillips - In the long run, busing hurt Boston because it led to violent racial strife, contributed to white flight, and damaged the quality of the public school system. The Irish Catholic community of South Boston were significant opponents of busing. “Like the dwellers of all ghettoes, the men and women of Southie are burdened with a combative pride that strikes widely at every real slight or imagined threat from outside. Threatened and fearful, the people of Southie will attack anyone who diminishes the integrity of their poor world and meager lives” (Hornburger, 1976, p 236). They believed that anyone who was not part of their rank should stay out of their part of town. The arguments that both the white and black parents made against busing were valid and ended up being true. In the 1976 article “Deep are the Roots: Busing in Boston,” author Jane Hornburger addressed one of those concerns. “They feel that if all schools had quality education, busing would be unnecessary. Busing is not totally accepted by black parents, but they realize that segregated housing, in many instances, leaves no other alternative to quality integrated education” (Hornburger, 1976, p 245). Matthew Richer shows a similar scenario in his 1998 article “Busing’s Boston Massacre.” Richer’s article shows the attitude of citizens before busing was tried. “In 1971, when the district tried to redraw attendance zones to encourage integration, a group of black parents protested that it would force their kids out of a good neighborhood school” (Richer, 1998). Tensions between the ghettos of the Southies and the Black communities increased racial strife due to busing.

In 1974, U.S. District Court Judge Garrity enacted the “master plan,” mandating busing in Boston. Fredrick Giles, Boston school Superintendent, proposed an alternative plan that would allow families to send their children to any school in the city. Garrity’s failure to listen to Giles by enacting the “master plan” harmed the educational system of Boston. As a result of busing, the money that went towards transportation was taken away from quality education. This transfer of funds drastically reduced test scores at all levels. Specifically, at the high school level, as recently as 1996, test scores were abysmal. “On average, SAT test takers in the city’s high schools scored 845 (out of 1600) in 1996, surpassing only those in Chelsea. If you exclude the three exam schools, Boston would surely be last. With pathetic standardized test scores and an average promotion rate of 94 percent, it is hard to imagine the Boston Public Schools have improved since busing began. In fact, the evidence suggests they are probably worse” (Richer, 1998). The negative impact on the quality of education was not worth the forced integration that the black community did not want.

Ultimately the Busing program hurt Boston. If legislators had taken the time to listen to the people, they would have found a better alternative. In his article, Reicher quotes Angela Paige Cook; she said, “When schools were segregated, they were rich in other ways. Before busing, parents, teachers, and students often lived in the same community, attended the same churches, and shopped in the same stores. There were more positive role models for the kids in those days. When you destroy a community infrastructure, you no longer have those role models” (Richer, 1998). This statement summarizes the failure of the busing program. If money had been placed into quality education and schools changed to open enrolment, these problems would have been avoided.

Response –

Chris Dean - So this week's discussion on the Boston busing event brings up an interesting scenario. Legal school segregation really only existed in the South. These legal (de jure) segregation laws were struck down, most notably with the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court Case in 1954. So what's going on in Boston?

Other places around the country had what we call de facto segregation. This mean segregation by culture, choice, or other means. More specifically, we are looking at socio-economics in American society. Now there is a mixture of legal issues here as during the New Deal the government passed a number of mortgage and banking laws. To get Southern votes, concessions were made on these laws to basically make it illegal to give mortgage loans to POC. After WWII, there was a great boom in housing and middle-class white America was able to take their loans and move to the suburbs. With them come property taxes, which went to suburban schools. This not only separates whites and blacks, but kind of places African Americans into a cycle of lower income/poverty that is hard to get out. With that also comes other issues such as crime and drug problems.

So, the idea here is to try and break the cycle of poverty, b/c intelligence/aptitude knows no color or class standing. Allow minorities to go to better schools so that they can get a better education, better opportunity for college, better opportunities for jobs, wealth, etc.

This is a fascinating mix of history and sociology that I've read a lot about. If you have questions or want reading suggestions, just comment below!

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