Historical Dictionary of School Segregation and Desegregation: The American Experience

(Hardback)

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Description

Throughout the nation's history, from before the Civil War through Reconstruction, across the years of lynchings and segregation to the Brown v. Board of Education decision and the battles over busing, no issue has divided the American people more than race, and at the heart of the race issue has been the conflict over school segregation and desegregation. Prior to the Civil War, South Carolina enacted the first compulsory illiteracy law, which made it a crime to teach slaves to write, and other Southern states soon followed South Carolina's example. After the Civil War, schools for blacks were founded throughout the South, including many Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court decision established the principle of separate but equal education, which led to decades of segregation. With the 1954 Brown decision, the Supreme Court overturned the separate but equal principle, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 empowered the federal government to affect school desegregation. The process of desegregation continues to this day, with much debate and mixed results. Through more than 260 alphabetically arranged entries, this comprehensive reference book describes persons, court decisions, terms and concepts, legislation, reports and books, types of plans, and organizations central to the struggle for educational equality. The volume covers topics ranging from emotionally laden terms such as busing to complex legal concepts such as de facto and de jure segregation. Each entry includes factual information, a summary of different viewpoints, and a brief bibliography. The book includes an introduction, which outlines the history of school segregation and desegregation, along with a chronology and extensive bibliographic material. Thus this reference is a complete guide to school segregation and desegregation in elementary, secondary, and higher education in the United States.

Reviews

"Professor Raffel's [dictionary] is a truly outstanding and unique contribution to the field of school desegregation. No other work has done such a comprehensive and meticulous job of tracing the history of key events, concepts and theories behind this complex civil rights topic. Its balanced and objective treatment of the material, presenting both sides of the arguments on many controversial issues, will make [this dictionary] indispensable for anyone studying the issues of race and equity in education."-David J. Armor Research Professor, The Institute of Public Policy George Mason University
"This book fills a void in school desegregation planning and policy analysis. Dr. Raffel has produced a meticulous, thorough, and objective discussion of the important concepts and terms that define America's four and half decade struggle for racial integration in the schools. In a field that is known for its contentiousness and partisanship, this dictionary stands above the fray to offer objective, authoritative definitions that will be widely accepted and used."-Christine H. Rossell Professor of Political Science Boston University
.,."useful supplement to the general-purpose dictionaries and encyclopedias of American history."-GaleGroup.com
.,."very useful...readers will find what they need as they seek to work their way throught tangled history and contemporary situation regarding the practices and policies surrounding access and equity in the contested realm of reace and education."-History of Education Quarterly
"All the key players are here, and the coverage of significant decisions alone makes this a valuable tool for anyone interested in U.S. law, education, or sociology. Cross-references abound, and researchers can easily trace subjects...[an] exceptional resource....This reference is higly recommended for all academic and public libraries."-ARBA
...useful supplement to the general-purpose dictionaries and encyclopedias of American history.-GaleGroup.com
...very useful...readers will find what they need as they seek to work their way throught tangled history and contemporary situation regarding the practices and policies surrounding access and equity in the contested realm of reace and education.-History of Education Quarterly
A valuable source....Recommended for high school, college, and public libraries interested in the history of education or civil rights.-Choice
All the key players are here, and the coverage of significant decisions alone makes this a valuable tool for anyone interested in U.S. law, education, or sociology. Cross-references abound, and researchers can easily trace subjects...[an] exceptional resource....This reference is higly recommended for all academic and public libraries.-ARBA
Each well-written and logically organized entry in this unique dictionary has its own bibliography to support the non-judgmental definitions supplied....A bibliographical essay and an extensive, nine-page bibliography add to the utility of this appropriately priced volume.-Library Journal
Raffel approaches with objectivity and precision a controversial topic that can still inflame passion. His articles set forth facts and interpret evidence with care while internal cross references tie together related articles. ...a useful supplement to general-purpose dictionaries and encyclopedias of American history.-Rettig on Reference
This work presents a comprehensive review of the forces and events that have driven and shaped this controversial issue....Essays are written in a nonjudgmental style, giving the arguments and reasoning of those with different opinions on both sides of the issues. This is a thorough and objective work for study of the issues of race and equity in education. Academic and large public libraries will want to acquire it.-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
..."useful supplement to the general-purpose dictionaries and encyclopedias of American history."-GaleGroup.com
..."very useful...readers will find what they need as they seek to work their way throught tangled history and contemporary situation regarding the practices and policies surrounding access and equity in the contested realm of reace and education."-History of Education Quarterly
"A valuable source....Recommended for high school, college, and public libraries interested in the history of education or civil rights."-Choice
"Each well-written and logically organized entry in this unique dictionary has its own bibliography to support the non-judgmental definitions supplied....A bibliographical essay and an extensive, nine-page bibliography add to the utility of this appropriately priced volume."-Library Journal
"Raffel approaches with objectivity and precision a controversial topic that can still inflame passion. His articles set forth facts and interpret evidence with care while internal cross references tie together related articles. ...a useful supplement to general-purpose dictionaries and encyclopedias of American history."-Rettig on Reference
"This work presents a comprehensive review of the forces and events that have driven and shaped this controversial issue....Essays are written in a nonjudgmental style, giving the arguments and reasoning of those with different opinions on both sides of the issues. This is a thorough and objective work for study of the issues of race and equity in education. Academic and large public libraries will want to acquire it."-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin

Author Bio

JEFFREY A. RAFFEL is Professor and Director of the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Delaware and has served as a researcher, scholar, expert witness, practitioner, community leader, and parent in the school desegregation process. He has published three previous books, and his articles have appeared in journals such as Harvard Educational Review, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Phi Delta Kappan, Urban Affairs Quarterly, Journal of Urban Affairs, and Urban Education. From 1974 through 1978 he served as executive director of the Delaware Committee on the School Decision, which worked toward the desegregation of Delaware's schools.