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Black Community Activism and Boston School Desegregation History 1960-1975

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Black Community Activism and Boston School Desegregation History 1960-1975 Reclaiming the Narrative: Black Community Activism and Boston School Desegregation History 1960-1975 Author: Lyda S. Peters Persistent link: http://hdl.handle.net/2345/bc-ir:107318 This work is posted on eScholarship@BC, Boston College University Libraries. Boston College Electronic Thesis or Dissertation, 2017 Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. BOSTON COLLEGE Lynch School of Education Department of Teacher Education, Special Education, and Curriculum and Instruction Program of Curriculum and Instruction RECLAIMING THE NARRATIVE: BLACK COMMUNITY ACTIVISM AND BOSTON SCHOOL DESEGREGATION HISTORY 1960-1975 Dissertation by LYDA S. PETERS submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy May 2017 © Copyright by Lyda S. Peters 2017 ABSTRACT RECLAIMING THE NARRATIVE: BLACK COMMUNITY ACTIVISM AND BOSTON SCHOOL DESEGREGATION HISTORY 1960-1975 Lyda S. Peters Dennis Shirley, Chair This research study is a historical analysis of Boston school desegregation viewed through the lens of Black Bostonians who gave rise to a Black Education Movement. Its purpose is to place Boston’s school desegregation history in a markedly different context than many of the narratives that evolved since Morgan v. Hennigan (1974). First, it provides a historical connection between the 18th and 19th century long road to equal schooling and the 20th century equal educational opportunity movement, both led by Black activists who lived in Boston. Second, it provides a public space for the voices of 20th century activists to tell their accounts of schooling in Boston. The narrators in this study attended Boston public schools and became leaders and foot soldiers in the struggle to dismantle a racially segregated school system. Ten case studies of Boston’s Black activists provide the foundation of this study. They recount, through oral history, a community movement whose goal was to save children attending majority Black schools from a system that was destroying them. Two theoretical perspectives, Critical Race Theory and Resiliency, inform the research design and findings. The findings shed light on agency from within the Black community, what changes were expected in the schools, the range of views regarding the intent of desegregation, and how systemic racism was the force that drove this community to dismantle a system that violated the 14th Amendment rights of Black students. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There is something quite special in being part of a community that is willing to share their time and expertise with those who are researchers. I want to thank all those who have held out a hand to guide me on that road. To Dr. Dennis Shirley, my advisor and chair, I want to acknowledge your constant and consistent support of this dissertation, as you encouraged me to write about these stories of activists and helped me bring this history to life. I thank-you. To Dr. Lillie Albert who pushed and prodded me to ensure that this dissertation would be completed, as you provided so much support and guidance. I thank-you. To Dr. A.J. Franklin who as an activist and a scholar is an inspiration to me, and who demonstrated how meaningful individual lives of men and women can be, as they define themselves. I thank-you. To my dear friend, Dr. Mary Harvey, who helped me look at the taped interviews to find meaning in the words and the work of these activists, along with the special encouragement that always came when we spoke. I thank-you. I dedicate this dissertation to the twenty-two activists who opened their doors to me without question and shared their stories of schooling and living in Boston. I am forever grateful to you for your kindness. I thank each and everyone of you. This dissertation is in honor of the many Boston activists who are not mentioned or who are no longer with us. I am forever indebted to them. IN REMEMBRANCE OF MY MASTER TEACHERS PEGGY PETERS AND RUTH BATSON Table of Contents LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................................... III CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1 A PERSONAL STORY–CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND .......................................................................................... 1 THE PROBLEM ......................................................................................................................................................... 10 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY ........................................................................................................................................ 18 IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY ................................................................................................................................ 18 RESEARCH QUESTIONS .......................................................................................................................................... 20 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ................................................................................................................................. 21 DEFINITION OF TERMS .......................................................................................................................................... 35 OVERVIEW OF CHAPTERS ...................................................................................................................................... 42 CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................... 45 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................................ 45 THE ROAD TO BROWN ........................................................................................................................................... 46 BOSTON AND ITS SCHOOLS ................................................................................................................................... 51 19TH CENTURY BLACK QUEST FOR EQUAL EDUCATION .................................................................................. 55 BOSTON’S BLACK POPULATION BETWEEN 1638 AND 1970 ........................................................................ 60 SOCIAL PROTEST, BLACK INSTITUTIONS, AND THE BLACK LEADERSHIP CLASS ........................................ 63 A VIEW OF 17TH & 18TH CENTURY PUBLIC SCHOOLING IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY ................................ 65 1787 PRINCE HALL PETITION ............................................................................................................................. 67 THE PETITIONERS AND THE PETITIONS: A PLEA FOR AN AFRICAN SCHOOL .............................................. 69 THE SMITH SCHOOL ............................................................................................................................................... 71 INSTITUTIONALIZING SEPARATE AND UNEQUAL SCHOOLS ............................................................................ 73 EQUAL SCHOOLING: A BLACK EDUCATION MOVEMENT TAKES ROOT ......................................................... 77 RACE TRIUMPHS ..................................................................................................................................................... 80 SARAH C. ROBERTS V. THE CITY OF BOSTON, 59 MASS. 198–210 (5 CUSH.) (1850) .......................... 82 EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY: A GENERATIONAL LINK TO THE 20TH CENTURY .......................... 84 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................... 89 HISTORICAL RESEARCH ......................................................................................................................................... 89 INSIDER RESEARCH ................................................................................................................................................ 90 SCOPE OF STUDY ..................................................................................................................................................... 93 RESEARCH DESIGN ................................................................................................................................................. 94 DATA COLLECTION ................................................................................................................................................. 98 TEN NARRATED HISTORIES ............................................................................................................................... 101 TWELVE SUPPORTING HISTORIES .................................................................................................................... 102 ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTS ...................................................................................................................................... 103 DATA ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................................................... 104 LIMITATIONS OF STUDY ...................................................................................................................................... 105 CHAPTER IV: PORTRAITS OF 20TH CENTURY EQUAL EDUCATION ACTIVISTS ............. 110 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................
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