Forced Justice
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School desegregation and "forced" busing first brought people to the barricades during the 1960s and 1970s, and the idea continues to spark controversy today whenever it is proposed. A quiet rage smolders in hundreds of public school systems, where court- ordered busing plans have been in place for over twenty years. Intended to remedy the social and educational disadvantages of minorities, desegregation policy has not produced any appreciable educational gains, while its political and social costs have been considerable. Now, on the fortieth anniversary of the Supreme Court's epic decision, Brown v. Board of Education, the legal and social justifications for school desegregation are ripe for reexamination.In Forced Justice, David J. Armor explores the benefits and drawbacks of voluntary and involuntary desegregation plans, especially those in communities with "magnet" schools. He finds that voluntary plans, which let parents decide which school program is best for their children, are just as effective in attaining long-term desegregation as mandatory busing, and that these plans generate far greater community support. Armor concludes by proposing a new policy of "equity" choice, which draws upon the best features of both the desegregation and choice movements. This policy promises both improved desegregation and greater educational choices for all, especially for the disadvantaged minority children in urban systems who now have the fewest educational choices.
The debate over desegregation policy and its many consequences needs to move beyond academic journals and courtrooms to a larger audience. In addition to educators and policymakers, Forced Justice will be an important book for social scientists, attorneys and specialists in civil rights issues, and all persons concerned about the state of public education.
Reviews
"A compelling argument for..."equity choice"...and a significant contribution of the discussion of desegregation in America...."--The Indianapolis Star
"Mr. Armor's study debunks the myths underlying 25 years of disastrous judicial activism. Even more significantly, it points the way to a solution--parental choice--that just might help fulfill the promise of equal opportunity for the nation's most disadvantaged schoolchildren."--The Wall Street Journal
"Likely to set off a fresh debate among lawyers, educators and social scientists...."--The New York Times Book Review
"Forced Justice is the most thorough and incisive examination of school desegregation I am aware of. Armor's idea of equity choice is one of those perfectly reasonable solutions to a complex problem that seems embarrassingly obvious once you hear it. This book will change the discussion of school desegregation in America."--Shelby Steele, author, The Content of Our Character: A New Vision of Race in America
"As the era of compulsory busing for school desegregation comes to a close, David Armor examines the evidence dispassionately. He finds that the benefits of this policy were usually minuscule, and the cost often enormous. Forced Justice is a persuasive, detailed analysis of one of the most divisive policy initiatives in modern American history. It proves beyond doubt that good intentions are often not enough."--Glenn Loury, Boston University
Product Details
288 pages; 38 line illus.; 6-1/8 x 9-1/4; ISBN13: 978-0-19-509012-3ISBN10: 0-19-509012-8About the Author(s)
David J. Armor is Research Professor at The Institute of Public Policy, George Mason University. While writing this book he was Senior Research Scholar of the Social Philosophy and Policy Center of Bowling Green State University, Ohio and Visiting Professor in the Department of Sociology, Rutgers University. Formerly he was Senior Social Scientist at the Rand Corporation and Associate Professor of Sociology at Harvard University. He has also served as an elected member of the Los Angeles Board of Education and Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for military manpower and personnel.
