The Orlando Sentinel published a 1955 letter to the editor from Zora Neale Hurston. In it, she condemns the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education and the leadership of the Black intelligentsia in the decision. Using Timothy Parsons' myth of a progressive empire, this article emphasizes Hurston's central thesis: that forced…

The Scopes Trial was one of the most controversial, widely reported, and well-researched court cases of the twentieth century. However, historians and other researchers have largely ignored the African American community's reaction and response to the trial, leaving out valuable perspectives on this historic event. In this article, the author…

Numerous research studies have investigated the racist undertones of traditional history textbooks of the mid-nineteenth and early twentieth century. Few studies, however, have thoroughly and theoretically explored how African American history textbooks and African American educators have responded to these racist textbooks. Utilizing the theory…

While important goals of the Civil Rights Movement were fulfilled with the election of Barack Obama, ongoing demands to build a just and inclusive multiracial society require that one constantly looks for new ways to extend the discussion of difference. The goal of this article is to present a project designed for students in intercultural…

Suburban schools have traditionally remained homogenous enclaves for White middle class families. On the surface, these racially integrated spaces reflect the dream of Brown v. Board of Education--to have students of all races learning and developing together. A closer look at these racially mixed environments unveils the systemic problems…

A report of the author's research on the attitude of sociologists toward the black studies movement, in which are described the characteristics of the two polar groups of white sociologists, the embracers and the antagonists, and the substance of their respective positions and behavioral consequences are summarized. Potential areas for cooperation…

Eight definitions of integration were examined across sex, race, political preference, religious service attendance, and socioeconomic status for 449 graduating high school seniors. Generally, these students chose definitions of integration based on the idealistic principle of free association of people of different races and the open acceptance…

Argues that as part of the objective of bringing economic recovery and social order to Louisiana following the Civil War, Banks made the education system an extension of his labor program. Examines the Free Labor System, the attitudes of Louisiana educational administrators, and the inhibiting nature of Black education. (Author/GC)

To determine racial bias, questionnaires were distributed to members of community organizations and institutions. Respondents also viewed different versions of the same film depicting a store robbery with actors of different races playing various roles. Results indicated that race was not a very influential factor. Tables included. (MW)

The findings indicate a lack of the influence of the variable of black identification on outgroup attitudes and willingness to associate. Nor is the contention supported that strong ingroup identification leads to a positive or negative outgroup orientation. The implications of these results for educational implications and minority group agencies…

A survey was conducted of Black and White college students' attitudes to race relations both before and after one year at a desegregated university. Little evidence was found to support the theory that interracial contact leads to reduced prejudice. Apparently, attempts at universities to establish viable, positive desegregation are far from…

Excerpts writings of past African American intellectuals on the issue of presumptions of innate black mental inferiority, and applies their analyses to the scientific racism found in "The Bell Curve" (Herrnstein and Murray, 1994). Ideas for incorporating this critical tradition into current efforts, to prevent the resurgence of white…