70 Years After Brown v. Board: Why American Schools Stay Divided

Seventy years after the Supreme Court declared "separate but equal" unconstitutional, John Washington's observation rings painfully true: "The more things change, the more they stay the same."

John, now in his 50s, was bused during Philadelphia's integration movement in the 1970s and graduated high school in 1990. As a parent of three current students, he's witnessing what research confirms: American public schools aren't more integrated today than they were just after the 1954Brown v. Board ruling.

Three Generations, One Persistent Reality

Sociologist Leana Cabral interviewed 45 Black students and graduates ranging from 14 to 95 years old to understand how different generations experienced racial inequality in Philadelphia's public schools. What emerged was a troubling consistency across decades.

Despite legal victories and policy changes, the lived experiences of Black students reveal that anti-Blackness in education persists in both overt and subtle forms.

Naya, a 30-year-old former student from Germantown, captured this resilience: "There's a 'magic' in being Black. You have to see what's possible when nobody else can see it."

"We Weren't Troublemakers, We Were Just Kids"

Across all generations, students shared remarkably similar experiences. Parents consistently told them they "had to work twice as hard" as white students—a burden that shouldn't exist in an equal society.

Jazmine, who graduated in 2003, described the differential treatment: "There was less patience for us. It was so obvious, the difference in how the adults treated us, which led to animosity among the children."

Hank, class of 1981, noticed how low expectations from white teachers affected motivation: "We were just going through the motions. You could see the difference between Black teachers' expectations and many white teachers'. When white teachers had expectations, it was sterile—without the love you felt from Black teachers."

Current students reported white teachers using racial epithets, including the n-word, and making comments like "You're acting like a park ape." One teacher dismissed slavery as "in the past and not connected to today."

Perhaps most heartbreaking was Naima's memory from fourth grade. When candy went missing from her white teacher's jar—actually taken by a white student—Naima and her Black friend were accused, suspended, and made to feel like criminals simply for being "the last people" the teacher saw leaving the room.

"We weren't troublemakers," Naima emphasized. "We were just kids."

Spaces of Affirmation Still Exist

Not every experience was negative. Many students found affirmation—but almost exclusively in majority-Black schools with predominantly Black teaching staff.

Delise, who graduated in 2004, described her elementary and high schools: "Blackness was a norm. It was the standard. My identity was affirmed in that school."

Philadelphia's Black communities have consistently resisted educational inequality, creating alternative spaces like freedom libraries, freedom schools, and Afrocentric curricula. This legacy of resistance continues to inspire current students and families.

James, a former North Philadelphia student now in his 80s, reflected on this resilience: "We have yet to grasp the significance of our experience. When I look at how we have navigated... it's constant, and still we rise."