The second promise ofbrown

Abstract

This article describes the cultural consequences of the local school closing in a predominantly black community (Centerville) as a result of desegregation policies. Based on oral accounts of community members, the author unearths the diverse functions the former all-black school used to have in the community. Furthermore, the possible reasons for the nostalgia with which the community remembers its "own" school are analyzed. It is shown why the predominantly white schools to which today's students are bused cannot possibly "pass the test" of comparison with the former community school.And finally, the article reminds us of two promises of Brown, only one of which has been fulfilled in the case of Centerville. While racial segregation of schooling was indeed abolished in Centerville, the second promise of Brown--providing equal educational opportunities for all children irrespective of race--remains elusive at best. And the very institution that would be central to fulfilling the second promise of Brown--a school for which the town feels a sense of ownership--was closed for the sake of desegregation.The 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, is widely perceived to be the landmark decision on the road to educational equality in the United States. Ruling that "in the field of public education the doctrine of 'separate but equal' has no place," the Supreme Court seemed determined to lay the legal groundwork for the struggle by African-Americans to gain equal educational opportunity. As Alan Peshkin (1992) points out, the Brown decision made clear that there are limits to local control: Ideals formulated at the national level--such as racial integration--began to be seen as taking priority over the interests of local communities, should communities-or influential community members--be opposed to desegregation.Much of the literature that has dealt with the aftermath of Brown focuses on the struggle of blacks to secure the promise of Brown against widespread efforts of whites to subvert, obscure, and prevent effective desegregation (e.g. ~Parts of this article have been the basis for an oral presentation at the South Atlantic

The Memories of an All-Black Northern Urban School

“…With the 50th anniversary of the Brown decision approaching, Black children still have not achieved equal educational access and success despite desegregated settings (Hale, 2001;Trent, 1997b). Maike Philipsen (1994) argued that there were two promises related to the Brown legacy: "the promise of overcoming legally enforced separation in school on the basis of race and the promise of providing equal educational opportunity for all students irrespective of racial background" (p. 259). Philipsen argues that the second promise has yet to be fulfilled.…”

“…It was his hope that it would inspire the students of Champion to remember that students who were similar to them in terms of race, class, and gender and attended an all-Black school could be successful. More important, it provided a "lived reality" of success thereby reaffirming that the teachers, the principal, and the community cared (Dempsey & Noblit, 1993;Irvine, 1989;Philipsen, 1994).…”

“…Moreover, Champion's teachers represented models of what Black people could accomplish through education. Their lived experience countered the general underestimation of African American educational ability (Philipsen, 1994). Another factor in the good memory of Champion was that the curriculum and activities at the school made educational choices possible for its students.…”

“…Unification of school spirit and community spirit was increased by providing opportunities for all students through the regular classes, activities, athletics, community organizations, and clubs. Each student claimed school ownership and belonging through the curriculum and activities (Philipsen, 1994). Hence, through the curriculum and activities, parents and teachers instilled in their children their collective values, provided sufficient role models, and demonstrated alternative as well as traditional measures of success.…”

From Brown to Ayers v. Fordice: the changing shape of racial desegregation in US higher education

“…Orfield (1995) documented the problematic nature of the media's alarmist reporting on racial school desegregation, and the political use of race for electorial purposes. However, for some African Americans, schools were viewed as an integral part of the black community before desegregation, and they feel a racial and cultural price was paid for accepting Brown (Phillipsen 1994). The defenders of public HBCUs see their efforts as one of the few ways to avoid repeating the past racial and cultural compromises of The Federal Court decisions such as Hopwood ( ), Knight (1995 and Ayers v. Fordice (1995) also serve to reinforce African American perceptions that the judiciary is hostile to their educational interests and constitutional rights.…”