Segregated Schools in the North

 James William Webb Jr. vs. The Board of Education of the City of Chicago (1961)

 

Candace Gwin

Summer Fellowship 2008

National Archives and Records Administration ( NARA )

Great Lakes Region, Chicago

 

Abstract:

After the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision, many school districts across the nation were pressed for immediate change.  Some school districts already had a plan for desegregation, some refused to implement a plan, and some claimed that a plan for desegregation was unnecessary, or so they thought.  In this court case, James William Webb Jr. vs. The Board of Education of the City of Chicago (1961), a family of eighteen African American parents and their children are suing The Board of Education of the City of Chicago (1961) for the charge of requiring their children to attend a segregated school because the school was located in their residential area, and is referred to in the case as Òthe neighborhood schoolÓ model.  While the schools in the neighborhood were close the plaintiffÕs residence, they were over-crowded to the point where many teachers were required to work double shifts, some didnÕt have lunch facilities or libraries, and other major differences. 

 

Essential Questions:

1.       What is the difference between equality and equity? Are there times when one is more important than the other?

2.       What are the general reactions to segregation in the Chicago Public Schools in the 1960Õs? What are the general reactions to segregation in the Chicago Public Schools today?

3.       What is the difference between segregation and racial imbalance?

4.       What are some of the problems associated with segregation in the public schools between the years of 1920-1970Õs? What are some problems associated with segregation in the public schools today?

5.       What are some benefits and or advantages of segregation in the public schools?

6.       How would you compare the segregation of public schools in the United States before the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision and today?

 

Lesson Summary:

The students will be examining primary documents from the Webb v. The Board of Education of the City of Chicago (1961) decision and comparing it to the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision.  The students should be able to form an opinion based on the documents regarding equality, equality and segregation in the public schools.  They will compare the opinions on the parties involved in the case i.e. parents, lawyers, judge, superintendent and other case affiliates.  The students will compare the decision of the judge to the Consent Decree that was established in 2003 by the parents in the Champaign , Illinois Unit 4 school district.  The students will take on the roles of the case participants, they will form their own opinion from the facts, and they will discuss the relevance of the case to related information regarding segregation found in the popular media.

 

Lesson 1: Defining Vocabulary

Objective: Students should be able to understand the meaning of vocabulary involved in the case to distinguish and compare terms throughout the lessons.

 

Lesson 2:  Analyzing the Documents

Objective: The students should be able to analysis the documents and produce a summary statement that describes the intentions of the case participants.

  

Lesson 3: Determining Point of View

Objective: Have the students complete the graphic organizer so that they are able to identify the point of view for the Plaintiff, Defendants, teachers, parents and the Judge in the case.

  

Lesson 4: Analyzing Photographs

Objectives: Students should be able to analyze photographs from the two historical time periods.

  

Lesson 5: Comparing and Contrasting

Objective: Students will be able to compare and contrast two court different court cases.

  

Lesson 6: Sharing the Outcome

Objective: The students will be able to form an opinion based on the outcome of the case.