Presenter: Anne Kloos
Faculty Mentor: Laura Smithers
Presentation Type: Creative Work 6 (GSH Great Room)
Primary Research Area: Social Science
Major: Education Foundations
Schools have become more segregated now than before Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. That groundbreaking decision, which initiated the end of school segregation and helped to launch the Civil Rights Movement, was followed by policies and political actions that eroded the rights set forth by this legal action. A shift from federal to state oversight further diluted the progress of desegregation. This research investigates the issue of how and why our school system has become segregated again, specifically looking at Lane County schools. Through the use of primary literature this study looks at the nation as a whole and the historical context of segregation, then explores the history of Oregon’s racist laws and policies that have detrimentally affected the lives of non-whites within the state. Additionally, current demographics of public schools in Lane County are reviewed for race, class, and school achievement levels. Based on this information, schools in Lane County are currently segregated based on race and class levels; Schools that score high for achievement score low on diversity. Segregation is an issue that continues to impact the lives of individuals in Lane County and beyond.