Desegregation
The legal and administrative process of ending racial segregation, particularly in public schools, transportation, and facilities, by removing laws or policies that mandate separation by race.
The legal and administrative process of ending racial segregation, particularly in public schools, transportation, and facilities, by removing laws or policies that mandate separation by race.
Example: The desegregation of the Little Rock Nine in 1957 required President Eisenhower to federalize the Arkansas National Guard and deploy the 101st Airborne Division to enforce the court-ordered integration of Central High School.
Common misconception: Desegregation and integration are the same thing. Desegregation is the legal removal of segregation laws, while integration is the active, often voluntary, process of creating a truly mixed and equitable environment, which has proven much more difficult to achieve in practice.