CHARLOTTE, N.C. — May 17 marks 70 years since the Supreme Court ruled separating kids by race in schools was unconstitutional, forever changing education in America.
But now, even decades later, there's still a lot of progress to be made.
When the Brown vs. Board of Education decision came down, many believed all schools would finally be integrated. But that hasn't happened.
In the United States right now, almost half of Black and Hispanic students go to schools where all of their classmates are students of color. And schools with more than 90% students of color are five times more likely to be in low-income areas, research shows.
North Carolina schools appear to be going in the wrong direction. A study by N.C. State shows schools here are more segregated now than in the 1980s. Researchers behind the study say the state's voucher program for private schools and the recent growth in charter schools are largely to blame.
The North Carolina Association of Educators found white students received more than 60% of the state's private school vouchers last year even though they make up less than 40% of the population in schools statewide.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools was once considered a champion of integration, bringing a complex plan to reality that made white children's resources available to Black students. But in the years since, the district resegregated with the socioeconomic divide forcing many students of color into schools with fewer resources.
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