Dealing with School Segregation

School segregation is not a relic of the mid-20th century -- it is alive and well in America. School segregation harms kids because racial segregation in this country is not separate from economic segregation -- statistically, nonwhite kids are simply more likely to attend schools that have less resources, funds and staff to receive a quality education than white kids. This disparity severely harms equality of opportunity in America; it's a serious problem in dire need of a solution.

Here are some small, and not-so-small, things you can do to help bring an end to school segregation.

Daily

• Communicate with students and identify if the school is segregating
• Talk to school officials and (kindly) confront them about the problem

Weekly

• Alert local government officials, and higher powers if necessary, of inequality seen between different schools, especially if schools contain a “separate, but equal” kind of mentality
• Promote regular checks of school quality by one’s local government to ensure that students have access to the same education and resources, regardless of the neighborhood they live in

Monthly

• Attend your local school board meeting -- alert them of the issue, and ask for change

Periodically

• Campaign for school board elected officials committed to integration; vote out those who represent segregated districts