The Unfinished Battle for Integration in a Multiracial America - from Brown to Now - Executive Summary and Data

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Rhys

This report documents the ongoing struggle for school integration in a multiracial United States, tracing developments from Brown to contemporary conditions. It centers on the desegregation struggle and quantifies how racial and social-class patterns shape student assignment, exposure, and resegregation. The analysis covers trends by region and urbanicity, the role of intense segregation, double segregation, and policy-relevant shifts in the U.S. South, ending with conclusion and recommendations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages99

Reading Time4 h 9 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary: The Data

The Centrality of the Desegregation Struggle

Racial Composition of Students in U.S. Public Schools

Intense Racial Segregation

Isolation by Both Race and Social Class: Double Segregation

Segregation, Desegregation, and Resegregation in the US South

Segregation Trends: Variation by Region and Urbanicity

Choice and Segregation: Magnets and Charters

Conclusion and Recommendations

References

Appendix

The Unfinished Battle for Integration in a Multiracial America – from Brown to Now Gary Orfield and Ryan Pfleger APRIL 2024 Cover photo credit: Jose Carlos Cerdeno Suggested Citation: Orfield, G., Pfleger, R. (2024) . The Unfinished Battle for Integration in a Multiracial America from Brown to Now. Los Angeles, CA: The Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles, UCLA. © 2024 Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles, UCLA Table of Contents Table of Contents.........................................................................................................................................3 Table of Figures............................................................................................................................................3 Table of Tables .............................................................................................................................................4 Executive Summary: The Data ..................................................................................................................5 The Centrality of the Desegregation Struggle ............................................................................................7 Racial Composition of Students in U.S. Public Schools .........................................................................31 Intense Racial Segregation .........................................................................................................................34 Isolation by Both Race and Social Class: Double Segregation ...............................................................42 Segregation, Desegregation, and Resegregation in the US South...........................................................53 Segregation Trends: Variation by Region and Urbanicity.......................................................................61 Choice and Segregation: Magnets and Charters.......................................................................................69 Conclusion and Recommendations ..........................................................................................................75 References ...................................................................................................................................................83 Appendix.....................................................................................................................................................87 Table of Figures Figure 1: The South, Cycle of rising integration & resegregation with key policy changes, 1950–2020 ..................................................................................................................................8 Figure 2: Percent of US Public Schools that were Intensely Segregated, 1988–2021...........................34 Figure 3: Percent of Intensely Segregated Schools, 1988–2021, by Region ..........................................35 Figure 4: Percent of Latino Students in 90-100% Non-White Schools, by Region, 1968–2021 .........36 Figure 5: Declining Share of Whites in Intensely Segregated White Schools, 1968–2021...................40 Figure 6: Racial Composition of Schools Attended by the Typical Student, by Race, 2021................41 Figure 7: Student Exposure Rates to Poorer Students, 1998–2021 .......................................................44 Figure 8: White + Asian vs. Black + Hispanic Exposure to Poorer Students, 2000–2021 .................45 Figure 9: School Poverty in Intensely Segregated Schools, 1998–2021.................................................47 Figure 10: Racial Composition of Schools Attended by the Typical American Indian Student in Non-Bureau of Indian Education Schools, 2021 ..................................................................49 Figure 11: Exposure to Poverty for American Indian and White Students, 1998–2021......................50 Figure 12: Timeline of Major

FAQs

What time span and reference point does the report use for integration in the U.S.?

It traces the integration challenge from Brown to contemporary conditions, including policy shifts through later decades reflected in the figures (e.g., 1950–2020 and 1988–2021).

How does the report describe segregation patterns in public schools?

It analyzes intense racial segregation and highlights double segregation, where isolation occurs through both race and social class, affecting student exposure and school composition.

What role do school choice options play in the report’s findings?

The report examines magnets and charters, comparing segregation outcomes associated with these choices, including exposure patterns and trends in intensely segregated schools.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Rhys