Desegregation's Impact on Black Educators
In Jim Crow's Pink Slip, Dr. Leslie Fenwick tells the untold story of the 100,000 Black teachers and principals who were lost in the wake of desegregation attempts across the South. She joined the Integrated School podcast to talk about the book, her journey to writing it, and what understanding this untold history means for the ongoing quest for more teachers of color.
Acknowledging and addressing desegregation’s impact on Black educators to help advance educator diversity and holistic school integration
NCSD is spearheading a multi-year initiative to examine the intersections of segregation, access to effective educators, and educator diversity. This effort involves collaboration with historians, researchers, educators, and policymakers to deepen understanding and advance solutions. A critical component of this work is acknowledging and addressing the loss of Black educators in the Southern and border states following desegregation. Additionally, we aim to foster a more nuanced understanding of desegregation’s impact on Black educators in the North, which is often overlooked. By shining a light on this important history and its enduring consequences, we hope to forge new connections across the educational justice movement.
Desegregation's Impact on Black Teachers in the Southern and Border States
Our #NCSD2020 virtual keynote presentation featuring Vanessa Siddle Walker in conversation with Elizabeth McRae (facilitated by Dani McClain) weaves together information and concepts from the following books:
Desegregation's Impact on Black Teachers in the North
In the two decades following the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, tens of thousands of Black educators in Southern and border states lost their jobs (100,000 according to Leslie T. Fenwick)—a phenomenon that some scholars have argued was not an “unintended consequence” of desegregation, but an integral part of the resistance to it. However, few scholars have studied how Brown impacted Black teachers in the North (here, NCSD refers to all regions outside of the South as part of the larger “North” that was not part of the Jim Crow “South”).
In “The Impact of Brown v. Board of Education on Black Teachers Outside of the South, 1934-1974,” Professor Zoë Burkholder traces this complex history before and after Brown. The report was commissioned by NCSD as part of a larger research project supported by American Institutes for Research’s Equity Initiative.
Using a wide array of sources and historical materials, Burkholder finds that Northern Black teachers generally did not lose their jobs directly or indirectly due to Brown, in contrast to their Southern peers (who, in 1966, accounted for roughly 85% of the U.S. Black teaching force).
Some highlights of this complex history:
Brown v. Board's Impact on Black Teachers
Outside of the South, 1934-1974
Prior to Brown, Number of Northern Black Teachers Slowly Grows
Prior to the Brown ruling, the number of Northern Black teachers had actually been slowly rising, in concert with Black population growth resulting from the Great Migration, during which some six million Black Americans relocated to the North and West, almost entirely in cities.
Brown v. Board's Impact on Black Teachers
Outside of the South, 1934-1974
Few Black Teachers in the North
Before 1954, there were few Black teachers in the North in the first place. The history of racial discrimination in teacher education, hiring, and placement prevented Northern Black teachers from even attaining teaching jobs.
Brown v. Board's Impact on Black Teachers
Outside of the South, 1934-1974
Northern Black Teachers Often Taught in (Illegally) Segregated Schools or Classrooms
When Black teachers did manage to secure teaching positions, it was often in (illegally) segregated schools or classrooms. Even though most Northern states had outlawed school segregation by the late 19th century, school leaders used discriminatory student assignment and transfer policies to isolate Black students in certain schools.
Brown v. Board's Impact on Black Teachers
Outside of the South, 1934-1974
Great Migration Leads to Surge in Black Population in the North; Illegal School Segregation Increases
As the Black population in the North surged during the first wave of the Great Migration, illegal school segregation in Northern communities increased.
Brown v. Board's Impact on Black Teachers
Outside of the South, 1934-1974
Northern Black Teaching Force Grew Following Brown, Mostly in Cities; Civil Rights Advocates Did Not Focus on Black Teacher Employment
In the North, the Black teaching force grew following Brown, though many civil rights advocates did not focus on Black teacher employment. The number of Black teachers increased across the North in cities as varied as Stamford, CT; Waterloo, IA; Portland, OR; Minneapolis, MN; Tacoma, WA; Chicago, IL; and Los Angeles, CA.
Brown v. Board's Impact on Black Teachers
Outside of the South, 1934-1974
Many Northern Black Educational Advocates Believed Integration Would Increase Black Students' Access to High-quality Teachers
Initially, many Northern Black educational advocates believed that integration would ensure that Black students had fair access to high-quality teachers, as it was well documented that majority Black schools in the North had less experienced teachers and higher percentages of full-time substitute teachers.
Brown v. Board's Impact on Black Teachers
Outside of the South, 1934-1974
Mid to Late 1960s: Advocates Begin to Demand More Black Teachers
However, in the mid to late 1960s, advocates began to make demands for more Black teachers, specifically urging that they be assigned to work with Black students.
Brown v. Board's Impact on Black Teachers
Outside of the South, 1934-1974
Post-Brown Gains in the Northern Black Teaching Force Did Not Last
Importantly, the post-Brown gains in the Northern Black teaching force did not last. The overall percentage of Black teachers as part of the U.S. teaching force started to decline two decades after 1954—and this history continues today in the widespread underrepresentation of Black teachers in schools.