SEGREGATION, DESEGREGATION, RE-SEGREGATION:

LESSONS LEARNED ABOUT EQUITY IN OUR SCHOOLS

Session 1 - Segregated Schooling in Jim Crow Virginia, 1870-1950
Questions and Thoughts

These questions and the corresponding thoughts on these issues were posed by speakers and members of the audience. They are posted here in an attempt to capture the major points of discussion during Session One.

Question Raised - Why did the Commonwealth pass a law in the 1830s that would outlaw teaching Black children in schools?

Thoughts - It could have been that those in power were afraid of what it would mean if Blacks became literate and knowledgeable.

Question Raised - Why did whites in authority allow Black teachers to teach Black children?

Thoughts - The Commonwealth had enough difficulty finding tax dollars to spend on public education. With separate schools and separate teacher groups, scarce resources could be distributed in such a way to benefit whites as much as possible. As one looks carefully at public education in Virginia, during the early years one finds a shorter school year, larger class sizes, lower quality facilities, and much lower teacher salaries in Black schools.

Question Raised - Who benefited from this public policy?

Thoughts - Black belt whites seemed to experience the greatest fear. In counties such as Price Edward County, whites closed their public schools instead of complying with court ordered desegregation. But clearly, "Massive Resistance" in Virginia was supported by people in high places. College presidents, ministers, and local and state officials all played a role.

Question Raised - How do these presentations inform us about the policy decisions we make today?

Thoughts - It may be that the "separate but equal" doctrine held more promise for Black students than we might like to admit. Since desegregation and integration have not really occurred, there would have been some upside for Blacks if equality in separate systems could have been realized.

Maybe today, we have the worst of all worlds. By most any measure we haven't desegregated schools. In the meantime, Blacks have lost the sense of community in their schools.

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Posted: September 24, 1999
By The Educational Policy Institute of Virginia Tech
URL: http://fbox.vt.edu:10021/chre/elps/EPI/SYMPOSIUM/
sjanosik@vt.edu