PBS Episode 3, Equality

The third part of the PBS series called School is discusses the years 1950-1980. This time period began the strive for everyone to go to college; everyone who was white that is. Schools were still segregated at this time, and "separate but equal" was not working out anymore. African American schools were much less funded than white schools. Segregation affected African Americans, Mexicans, and women of all races. In 1950, the Supreme Court case Brown vs the Board of Education was won, and segregation was no longer sanctioned by the government. This was met by much anger; white students didn't want to have African Americans in there schools, and African American students didn't want to go to white schools, they just wanted equal opportunities and rights. Brown vs Board of Education was not very well followed through, but in 1964, implemented by Lyndon Johnson, the Civil Rights Act said that non-integrated schools would not get federal funding. This made things happen. Following many other acts, such as Bilingual Education Act and Title IX, equality was becoming more visible in life, instead of just an idea. Although futures were brightened for many of the minority groups at this time, not everything was equal. There was still tension between races, and there still is today.