Mississippi Black School District Gains Independence: A court said that a black school district in Mississippi could stop getting help from the government. It is because of a 2013 court order that said sentences for Black kids were unfair because of their race.
Judge Wingate said the Meridian Public School District did an excellent job cutting suspensions and dropout rates.
At a meeting in Jackson, the head of the district, Amy Carter, said, “Meridian is no longer a school-to-prison pipeline.”
In 2013, the US Department of Justice and Meridian schools made a deal to deal with behavior issues. Their study showed that black students got heavier punishments than white students for the same crimes.
Lawyers from the Justice Department and the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund agreed with Judge Wingate’s ruling on “unitary status” for Meridian schools. Since the area is no longer separated, there is no need for the federal government to keep an eye on it.
The number of kids in the Meridian school district who get in trouble each year has dropped from 10,000 to 1,200.
Superintendent Carter said PBIS, which teaches kids to make better decisions, was to blame for the change. The “Leader in Me” program helps kids learn how to be good leaders. Parents, teachers, and workers were shown the new ways to do things.
Judge Wingate would only let the district leave federal rule if it suited the kids and the town. Judge Wingate grew up in Mississippi and had to deal with racism.
Parents and district employees liked the new punishment system in Meridian schools because it was fairer and helped teachers get along better with their students.
The first case for integration was brought against Meridian schools in 1965. In 1967, the government told people in the area to stop being racist. The Justice Department did regular reviews until 2010, when complaints about harsh punishments started.
Meridian is in the eastern part of Mississippi, near the line with Alabama. About 66% of the 33,800 people who live there are black, and 31% are white.
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Our Reader’s Queries
When did Mississippi schools desegregate?
The desegregation of public schools in Mississippi by the Board of Education didn’t happen until 1970. Now, any student in Mississippi can attend public school, regardless of their race, creed, or skin color.
Why were Freedom Schools necessary in Mississippi in 1964?
The Freedom Schools in the 1960s were created by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) during the 1964 Freedom Summer in Mississippi. They aimed to provide a better education than the “sharecropper education” that many African Americans and poor whites were receiving.
Which state became the first to desegregate their school system?
Before the mid-20th century, a few US schools had already embraced integration. Lowell High School in Massachusetts was a pioneer in this movement, welcoming students of all races since it was established. The first African American student, Caroline Van Vronker, attended the school in 1843, marking a historic moment in the school’s history.
What was the impact of desegregating schools?
The integration of schools also led to major long-term advancements in the health of African American adults. This was determined by their own assessment of their overall health. The impact of attending a desegregated school for five years was found to be comparable to being seven years younger.