African American Dilemma: A History of School Integration and Civil Rights in the North

An African American Dilemma provides a social history of northern Black debates over school integration versus separation from the 1840s to the present, revealing that there was never a consensus and highlighting the diverse perspectives of Black students, parents, teachers, and community leaders. It complicates our understanding of school integration by highlighting the dynamic tension between Black school integrationists and separatists, which fueled effective strategies for educational reform and the Black civil rights movement.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 320 pages
\n Publication date: 02 December 2021
\n Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc
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Since the landmark decision of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, school integration has been considered a fundamental pillar of the Black civil rights movement in the United States. However, it is important to recognize that school integration was not the sole or even the dominant strategy employed by African Americans in their fight for equality. At certain times, African Americans also advocated for separate, Black-controlled schools that were designed to promote racial uplift and community empowerment.

An African American Dilemma provides a comprehensive social history of these debates within northern Black communities, spanning from the 1840s to the present. By drawing upon a diverse range of sources, including the Black press, school board records, social science studies, civil rights activists' papers, and court cases, the book sheds light on the complex and multifaceted nature of the northern Black community's relationship with education. It reveals that northern Black communities, both urban and suburban, experienced periods of oscillation between a preference for either school integration or separation. However, there was never a unanimous consensus on this issue.

Furthermore, the book highlights the chorus of dissent, debate, and counter-narratives that pushed families to consider a broader range of educational reforms. This sweeping historical analysis encompasses the entire history of public education in the North, complicating our understanding of school integration by presenting the diverse perspectives of Black students, parents, teachers, and community leaders who were all committed to improving public education. The book finds that Black school integrationists and separatists have worked in a dynamic tension, fueling effective strategies for educational reform and the Black civil rights movement. This discussion remains highly charged in present-day schooling choices, reflecting the ongoing struggle for racial equality and social justice in education.

\n Weight: 562g\n
Dimension: 165 x 241 x 31 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780190605131\n \n