This program series is in partnership with the Northeastern School of Law Criminal Justice Task Force.

Martha Minow, Harvard Law School; Becky Shuster, Boston Public Schools; Rachel Twymon; and moderator Matthew Delmont, Dartmouth College

In 1972, a group of African American parents sued city and state officials over segregation within the Boston Public Schools. After a trial, a federal court determined that the Boston School Committee had intentionally discriminated on the basis of race by operating a dual school system that extended to school assignments, facilities, and staffing. When officials failed to produce a timely remedy, the court ordered institutional reforms, including re-districting and the re-assignment of students. In this program, panelists will reflect on the lessons to be learned from Boston’s school desegregation experience.