Interesting article on DISD's desegregation efforts (Dallas, Bryan: middle-class, apartment, to rent)

[theloneranger]

http://www.utsystem.edu/news/clips/dailyclips/2002/1117-1123/K-12-DMN-Integration%20plan%20went%20down%20tubes-111702.pdf (broken link)

Apparently, DISD thought that they could get kids to interact via television rather than in person, rather than busing elementary school kids across the city.

And I was a little wrong--DISD started busing its students in 1971, not 1976. I'm not sure when the schools were actually functionally integrated, or if they ever were before the white families started leaving the district.

[TXNGL]

Originally Posted by theloneranger

http://www.utsystem.edu/news/clips/dailyclips/2002/1117-1123/K-12-DMN-Integration%20plan%20went%20down%20tubes-111702.pdf (broken link)

Apparently, DISD thought that they could get kids to interact via television rather than in person, rather than busing elementary school kids across the city.

And I was a little wrong--DISD started busing its students in 1971, not 1976. I'm not sure when the schools were actually functionally integrated, or if they ever were before the white families started leaving the district.

I'll check out the article. Thanks. Just for the record, I wasn't implying that they were really integrated prior to 1976. They weren't, not by a long shot, but I don't believe that if an African-American kid lived in my neighborhood (none did) they would be forced to cross town to go to a black school.

[theloneranger]

From what I understand, before busing began, they drew the boundaries so that black subdivisions, regardless of geographic location, were in black high school districts. There were a few, though not many, black subdivisions in North Dallas, but no black high schools, so I think these kids had to go to Pinkston or BTW based on how the lines were drawn. I'm not positive though.

However, I think at that point if a black family was fortunate enough to live in a white subdivision they were able to attend the white schools. This was very difficult to do at the time, however.

[Lakewooder]

See:

713 F.2d 90

This is from 1983 when we (Woodrow intervenors represented by Brinegar and Donohoe) were still trying to keep our naturally integrated school from being raided to supply minority students to other schools. In this case we were trying to keep our black population, which would have been sent to Bryan Adams. Previously they had tried to take hispanic and white students to integrate Madison - that started in 1976. We raised money for over a decade to keep our attendance zone intact. The Supreme Court had acknowledged and praised our efforts but that didn't keep others from trying to upset a good thing.

See the footnotes on this for racial breakdowns at Hillcrest, W.T. White, Bryan Adams etc in 1981.

[Grainraiser]

The district lines in my neighborhood were redrawn in 1976. I was sent from a diverse Jr. High to a all black Jr. High between my 7th and 8th grade year. I remember parents picketing but nothing changed. My parents were going to rent and apartment in my old district to I could go back to my old school. They also changed Jr high from 3 grades to 2. Since I only had one year and told my mother I would just go to the school for a year and once I went to highschool I could go anywhere I wanted. My entire neighborhood decided to go to Skyline HS which was a long way from Oak Cliff. That one ruling is the reason why the burbs exploded.

[TXNGL]

Originally Posted by theloneranger

From what I understand, before busing began, they drew the boundaries so that black subdivisions, regardless of geographic location, were in black high school districts. There were a few, though not many, black subdivisions in North Dallas, but no black high schools, so I think these kids had to go to Pinkston or BTW based on how the lines were drawn. I'm not positive though.

However, I think at that point if a black family was fortunate enough to live in a white subdivision they were able to attend the white schools. This was very difficult to do at the time, however.

Yes, that's what I meant. Interesting article. I wasn't aware of how the lines were drawn. Are you familiar with McShann street in North Dallas? South of LBJ and runs (I think??) between Preston and Hillcrest. It was built as a black middle-class neighborhood. I wonder where those kids went to school back then?

[Lakewooder]

Grainraiser which schools were these?

I know SOC went from white to black practically overnight but I am not sure of the year -- '69 or '70?

Not sure about Roosevelt. Carter went from all-white to black pretty fast around '75 or '76. Then Kimball did the same in the mid-80s. It sort of spread south from the older to the newer schools - Carter was a white flight school for SOC then the whites went to Duncanville. Samuell started going minority so the whites went to Spruce - then it changed.. I know this sounds crazy to those who didn't live through it.

Adamson had a fair number of blacks in the very early 70s. Sunset did not have much of a black population but I think there weren't many in its traditional district.

I can remember the white kids in North Dallas schools giving us grief for going to 'a minority school' in the 70s. We stuck around but they didn't when change came to their schools. So much for their loyalty...

[TXNGL]

I can remember the white kids in North Dallas schools giving us grief for going to 'a minority school' in the 70s. We stuck around but they didn't when change came to their schools. So much for their loyalty...>>

Some did back then. I was a private school kid (never was in public school), but most of my friends in the neighborhood graduated from N. Dallas public schools in the 70s through 80s, and any of them could have "fled". There are fewer now, of course. Lakewood and Woodrow are very lucky to have the pride and support that you do. We try here, but we are few and far between.

[Lakewooder]

This is also interesting: Desegregating Dallas Schools (http://library.law.smu.edu/disd/timeline.shtm - broken link)

...
07/23/1975 Fifth Circuit reverses portions of Judge Taylor’s desegregation ruling

Aug.-Jan. 1976 Taylor holds hearings to determine successful desegregation plan

October 1975 Dallas Alliance establishes desegregation plan

03/10/1976 Taylor issues desegregation order based on Dallas Alliance plan

Spring 1976 NAACP appeals Taylor’s order

Summer 1976 Fifth Circuit denies NAACP appeal

...

This is when Judge Taylor (from Highland Park) excluded the Park Cities and the other suburbs from the suit. Had he not done that maybe white flight would have been prevented. I'm not saying that whites aren't at fault here...

Hamiltonpl on here always gives me a hard time about bringing this up because he went to HPHS. After this happened values in the Park Cities skyrocketed and most of the more middle class types were forced out.


If you think the the students from North Dallas said some bad things to us you should have heard what the Parkies said...

[theloneranger]

HP was technically integrated. I believe they banned new live-in help but allowed the help who currently lived in the district to send their children to the schools, at the same time integrating them and prohibiting more African-Americans from entering the schools unless they could both afford a house in HPISD and find a willing seller--a very difficult combination at the time. Prior to that, live-in help had to send their kids to Booker T Washington in DISD, which made it a seperate school system.