The New Yorker: Desegregation and Resegregation of Charlotte's Schools
November 1, 2016
Clint Smith '10, writer, doctoral candidate at Harvard University and author of Counting Descent (2016), takes on Charlotte's history of school segregation, integration and de facto resegregation, in his most recent News Desk article for The New Yorker magazine.
"In 2005," Smith writes, "as part of a separate, and far-reaching, case originally brought against the state of North Carolina for its failing school system, Judge Howard Manning issued a report on the state of schools in Charlotte. He concluded, ‘The most appropriate way for the Circuit to describe what is going on academically at CMS's bottom ‘8' high schools is academic genocide for the at-risk, low-income children.'
"When Charlotte-Mecklenburg eliminated race as a factor in student assignment," Smith continues, "it not only meant less diverse schools; it also created a feedback loop that made the problem worse."
Smith will return to campus as the kickoff speaker for the Emerging Professionals Group Summit, which is designed specifically for African-American and Hispanic/Latino students. The Center for Career Development will host students from more than 35 schools for speakers, networking, workshops and other professional development opportunities, Nov. 4-6.
Read Smith's article in The New Yorker.
Browse all Smith's articles in The New Yorker.
The viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints and official policies of Davidson College.
