Twenty years after Brown vs. The Board of Education ruled that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional, Boston began to desegregate its school system through busing. The city’s plan to bus 18,000 students to schools outside of their neighborhoods met intense and violent resistance from the first day. The hostility and hatred radiated through Boston for months. Today’s public radio story features audio from that tumultuous period and testimonials from Boston residents who lived through the turbulent efforts to integrate public schools. NOTE: Story includes strong language from the protests.
Story Length: 8:35
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August 26, 2016
3:48
New research shows that black students in kindergarten through high school are almost four times as likely to be suspended from school than white students. Some people think that suspension should not be allowed in preschool at all. One reason given for the higher levels of discipline of black, male students is implicit bias. Specialists say that with more funding for public education, preschool teachers can receive better training, and more support to avoid resorting to suspension. Listen to the story to hear about one school that is making an effort to help disruptive students, rather than kick them out.
Read MoreJuly 2, 2014
10:18
40 years ago, Boston Judge W. Arthur Garrity ruled to desegregate Boston’s starkly divided schools. The ruling was met with an uproar from white families, where many of them refused to let their children attend school. Now, four decades since the historic ruling some feel it did not do enough to fix the integration problem.
Read MoreJanuary 22, 2014
7:27
Nearly six decades after schools were ordered to desegregate, students at a Little Rock High School still believe today there is work to be done to feel fully integrated. Listen to this story to learn how Arkansas high school students feel about race at their school.
Read MoreJanuary 20, 2014
5:41
Martin Luther King Jr. had many ties to Boston in the 1960's. He donated his personal papers to his alma mater, Boston University. Listen to this story and hear how many people in Boston remember the young King.
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