"Brown," School Choice, and the Suburban Veto

Abstract

ANY who are familiar with Brown v. Board of Education and the Southern response to the decision are at least vaguely aware that Southern states and school districts relied on school choice as one tool in their strategy of massive resistance. Brown’s relationship to school choice, however, is more complicated, more long-lasting, and more important than this limited and familiar connection. In this Essay, I will describe that relationship in more detail and explain why it is not only of historic interest, but of contemporary concern as well. It is a story rich in irony and unintended consequences, and one with no clear resolution. In short, it is the perfect Southern tale, though its lessons and scope extend well beyond the South. M