Intro:
Swann v. Charlotte Mecklenburg is a landmark case in understanding what is okay to do in the name of segregation. Swann has to do with the Busing of students in order to fulfill the orders passed down based on Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. Swann v. Charlotte Mecklenburg was ruled in 1971 on April 20th.
It is clear that integration was not happening quickly like the Supreme Court desired. Swann’s design was to give an actionable framework to support Brown v. Boards command to integrate the school. Brown v. Board merely gave the command to integrate schools with “all debilitated speed.” Schools who were resistant to this change had no frame work to be analyzed from so accountability was non-existent.
Facts:
The lawsuit was filed by the NAACP, who had also filed Brown v. Board of Education and many other cases, on behalf of Vera and Darius Swann who wanted their 6 year old daughter to attend Seversville Elementary School. Seversvill Elementary was one of very few integrated schools in the area. The Swann’s 6 year old was only one example of the 24,000 black students in the Mecklenburg Schools system.
Of the 24,000 black students 14,000 went to 21 different schools that were 99 percent black. 58.33 percent of students who were Black in Mecklenburg School were in 99 percent black schools. The statistic above does not account for anything less that 99 percent black meaning most likely there was school with 80 to 90 percent black populations that are completely ignored in these stats. The numbers are frankly staggering.
The issue is made clear how to solve it is a lot murkier. The discussion the Courts came to was busing. It is the process of taking students form one school most likely their closest or easiest to access location to a school that is less convenient in order to meet statistical goals. Busing had been previously used to promote segregation by busing Black kids to those schools which were made up of majority black students. Busing has a lot of benefits but also many drawbacks
Pros:
Busing fixed many issues pertaining to racial statistics in schools. They could control the demographics of any school by busing in more Black kids in order to meet their quotate. It was the easiest solution because they had the buses all they needed was new routes and school assignments. It will solve long term integration problems by fighting prejudice by allowing white and black students to interact.
Cons:
First and most obvious issue with busing is some increased labor cost because some buses are going to have to drive further. Then some others increase operational cost but it is not concerned because of the importance of meeting the Supreme Court's request for hasty integration. The more concerning factor is how it will affect the students. Students will have to wake up earlier to be on the bus and have less time to do homework when they get home because of longer drives. Students will be farther from their homes in case of family or medical emergencies. Finally is increased stress on students who are entering unfamiliar environments and ones that could even threaten their lives.
My Opinions:
I think Swann v. Charlotte Mecklenburg is difficult to rule either way because people will be hurt on both sides no matter what decision was made. I can see why the Court made the decisions it did but it was a decision for the long term. In the short-term there was lots of discomfort and unease sending your kids to a school with an unfamiliar population. Many students experience violence but the case set a framework for improving relationships between black and white children. Those Children will grow and become the next generation that leads our society. The truth is if I were in a parent's shoes I would resist this decision because I would not be best for my child in the moment in my eyes, earlier morning, more time on the bus, and farther from where I could get to them if need be.
Conclusion
When it comes to integration of schools, Swann v. Charlotte Mecklenburg was a support beam to Brown v. Board of Education. The case gave shape to the ruling and aided America in integration in many ways.
https://www.ncpedia.org/anchor/swann-v-charlotte
https://www.britannica.com/event/Swann-v-Charlotte-Mecklenburg-Board-of-Education
https://www.lexisnexis.com/community/casebrief/p/casebrief-swann-v-charlotte-mecklenburg-bd-of-educ
https://samepassage.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/bus2.jpg
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