Race, Law, and the Desegregation of Public Schools

Book excerpt: Annotation Moran examines Kansas City, Missouri, as a case study of school desegregation during the period 1949 to 1999. He argues that school desegregation is best understood as a process that influenced, and was influenced by, a multitude of factors. In this context, developments in Kansas City and elsewhere are presented as products of the interplay between evolving legal standards, shifting demographic patterns, the changing social, political, and economic climate of the city, fiscal considerations, and the actions and motivations of public policy makers. The successes and failures of desegregation are considered in light of each of these interconnected variables, drawing implications for the nation as a whole.