School Desegregation in Rural Louisiana: Harsh Reality for Black Teachers, Students, and Parents
Author:
Ernest James Hill
Degree Date:
May, 1988
Committee Chairperson:
Henry L. Gates, Jr.
Call Number:
Thesis DT 3.5 1988 H645
Description:
111 leaves: 29 cm.
Abstract:
This study of school desegregation in West Carroll Parish, a rural area in northeast Louisiana, is an attempt to assess the situation of Blacks in desegregated schools. In the past, most scholars who have examined the question of desegregation have focused on peripheral issues such as busing and white flight. Little work has been done to assess what happened to Black students and Black teachers once they entered the desegregated schools. This study is, therefore, designed to look at desegregation from the perspective of Black students, parents, and teachers, examining the successes and failures of desegregation.
The study begins with a detailed explanation of the central issues to be addressed, as well as a brief review of related works and an explanation of the methodology used. The point of focus then moves to the Black teacher in the desegregated school. Here, emphasis is placed on examining the manner in which the role of the teacher has changed with desegregation, the effects of discriminatory practices in the workplace, and the teachers' overall assessment of the desegregated school system in comparison with the segregated system. The focus then shifts to the Black student in the desegregated system. In this section, critical issues such as disciplinary problems, student/teacher relationships, and the relative opportunities offered to Black and white students are discussed .The final section of the paper assesses what desegregation with the gains that they have received. The study ends by opportunities for Blacks in the desegregated school system.