Separate but equal
In 1896, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Plessy v. Ferguson that creating separate accommodations based on race was justifiable as long as those accommodations were equal. This ruling established a federal legal doctrine known as “separate but equal.” These laws created the Jim Crow era: “Enforced by criminal penalties, these laws created separate schools, parks, waiting rooms, and other segregated public accommodations.”(1) This era, lasting from the 1880s until the 1960s, was a time of racial discord and terror.
While the states were required to provide accommodations such as schools and parks for their African-American citizens, those schools were traditionally underfunded and under-resourced. Although this is not true of every school that predominantly served People of Color, this was the harsh reality for most of them. These laws significantly hindered the educational experiences of millions of Black students not only throughout the South but throughout most of America.
Older Black adults who lived during this time and attended schools under this segregated system often discuss it with mixed feelings. Many Black people loved their schools, and the pride they felt in them still lingers to this day. In my home city of Birmingham, Alabama, it is almost impossible to run into someone who attended Arthur Harold Parker High School who does not carry a great deal of pride in their school. Graduates of Ullman High (no longer in existence), George W. Carver High, Carol W. Hayes High (no longer in existence), and P.D. Jackson-Olin High fondly remember their time in these schools. These schools historically served mostly Black students and families in the City of Birmingham.
But the fond memories they recall don’t tell the entire story. These former students also tell stories of dilapidated buildings, outdated textbooks recycled by the district from majority white schools, and long commutes to and from school due to the lack of transportation. For many people growing up in the Jim Crow South living under its repressive system, it was abundantly clear that separate meant unequal.
Unconstitutional
The NAACP fought to overturn the laws that allowed this divided system to thrive. In 1954, their efforts led to the famous Brown v. Board of Education ruling, where the doctrine of “separate but equal” was declared unconstitutional. This victory ushered in two competing movements: the civil rights movement and the era of white flight. Both of these movements have drastically shaped our current cultural climate.
When speaking with people about education in Birmingham, I often point to this history to help them better understand our educational landscape. Birmingham is a city steeped in tradition. It is also marred geographically by racism. It is surrounded by over 30 municipalities, many of which have their own school systems. These municipalities were founded around the time when Birmingham was undergoing a cultural upheaval, and the fight for integration and civil rights was at its height.
When I ran an organization working with schools in Birmingham focused on mentoring and education, I would require every new employee to undergo an intentional orientation process. Part of their orientation was tracing the city’s population, number of schools, and public school population from the 1950s until the present day. I would ask them to present this information with a rationale for why they thought so much had changed. Everyone came back with the same numbers and the same answers. The city’s overall population and the number of schools all drastically declined after segregation ended.
Where Do We Go
I have often done this exercise with community and church leaders. They are often shocked to see this direct correlation. However, they feel it in their children’s schools and the services they lead on Sunday mornings. This issue, though historic, is not history. A few years ago, I helped create a program between one of Birmingham’s most gifted high schools with an African-American population of over 97% and a very affluent white school in a neighboring suburb deemed one of America’s wealthiest zip codes. We wanted to bring students together for a long-term project that would otherwise never interact because of geography. We conducted a post-project survey, and I will never forget what one young woman who attended the suburban school said: “I truly enjoyed this program and the opportunity to meet other students. I wish they would end segregation so that we can go to school with students like them.” To say that I was flabbergasted would be an understatement. It wasn’t her sentiment that floored me; it was the fact that legally, school segregation ended in 1954, generations before this young woman was ever born. Yet, in her functional reality, this was the world she knew. A world where segregation was still alive and well.
What should you do with this information? Dr. Jemar Tisby employs a framework called The ARC of Racial Justice. ARC stands for Awareness, Relationships, and Commitment. Now that you are Aware of this, you should seek to share this information with others. You should also seek to understand how this history has impacted your own. How does your story intersect or collide with others around this issue? Are you currently in Relationship with others who have different educational experiences than yours? The final thing we should do is Commit ourselves to action. Education is important. The quality of education that you receive is directly related to so many outcomes that determine whether an individual is able to thrive or merely survive.
Just as you care deeply about the quality of education your children receive, you should care deeply about the quality of education your neighbor’s children receive. Isn’t this what Jesus requires of us when He tells us “to love your neighbor as you love yourself”? Our commitment to loving our neighbor means we don’t overlook them or the history that shaped their current reality.
1. “Separate but equal,” Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, accessed October 21, 2024, https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/separate_but_equal.
Prayer Request:
- Pray for the children in your city who are still being affected by the sins of our past.
- Pray about how you can get involved in providing high-quality educational experiences for children in your community or surrounding communities.
- Pray for the men and women leading in schools daily and seeking to instruct children facing significant challenges in their communities.
