Democracy now? Race, education, and black self-determination

Abstract

Background/Context: The Supreme Court's June 2007 decision on the Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 (PICS) provides an important context for school districts and educational policy makers as they consider the rok of race in school assignment. The PICS decision has been described as essentially "undoing" the 1954 Supreme Court decision in the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case that ended de jure racial segregation. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: Given the rhetoric that education in the United States is the "great equalizer," this conceptual article considers how the PICS decisions impact notions of educational equity and self-determination for African Americans. Research Design: This article provides a conceptual analysis of the PICS decision and educational equity. Conclusions/Recommendations: The author recommends that despite the PICS decision, school administrators and policy makers continue to consider how race impacts school assignment to ensure that public schools are democratic institution that are racially and educationally equitabk. Copyright © by Teachers College, Columbia University.