6-1 Discussion Supporting a Thesis Statement
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School
Southern New Hampshire University *
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Course
HIS-200
Subject
History
Date
Feb 20, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
2
Uploaded by MajorMoonSeaUrchin6
Hello everyone,
For this week's discussion, I selected the second thesis, “In the long run, busing hurt Boston because it led to violent racial strife, contributed to white flight, and damaged the quality of the public school system”. In the mid-20th century, Boston, like many American cities, was grappling with racial segregation in its public schools. To rectify this, a policy of busing was implemented in 1974. The goal was noble: to integrate the city’s schools and provide equal educational opportunities for all students. (MindEdge, Module Six: Analyzing History, continued | Learning Block 6-1: Analyzing Historical Texts, 2024) However, the implementation of this policy led to a series of unintended consequences that would leave a lasting impact on the city.
The busing policy was met with significant resistance, particularly from white Bostonians. This resistance often manifested as violent protests and racial strife. The city, once a beacon of hope for racial integration, was now a battleground. The streets echoed with the roars of protests, and the city was gripped by racial tension. This period of social unrest was a stark reminder of the deep-seated racial prejudices that existed within the community. (MindEdge, Module Six: Analyzing History, continued | Learning Block 6-1: Analyzing Historical Texts, 2024)
In addition to the social unrest, the busing policy also contributed to a phenomenon known as “white flight”. White families, to avoid the busing policy, began to move out of the city. This mass exodus led to a sharp decline in public school enrollment and further exacerbated the racial imbalance in the city’s schools. The demographic shift caused by white flight had long-term implications for the city, affecting everything from housing markets to political representation. (MindEdge, Module Six: Analyzing History, continued | Learning Block 6-1: Analyzing Historical Texts, 2024)
The quality of the public school system also suffered because of the busing policy. Bused children were often subjected to stress, fear, and illness. The very system that was meant to uplift
them was now causing them harm. This decline in the quality of education had long-term implications for the students and the city.
In conclusion, while the busing policy in Boston was well-intentioned and aimed at rectifying racial segregation, the violent backlash it received, and the subsequent social and educational consequences suggest that it had a detrimental effect on the city in the long run. However, it’s important to note that this is a complex issue with many nuances, and different perspectives may offer alternative interpretations of these events. The busing policy in Boston serves as a case study of the challenges of implementing social policies, highlighting the importance of considering the social and cultural context in which these policies are implemented. (MindEdge, Module Six: Analyzing History, continued | Learning Block 6-1: Analyzing Historical Texts, 2024) It’s a stark reminder of the complexities of social change and the often unforeseen consequences of well-intentioned policies.
References
History, M. I. (2024). The Struggle for Civil Rights
. Retrieved from Module Five: Analyzing History | Learning Block 5-1: The Struggle for Civil Rights: https://snhu.mindedgeonline.com/content.php?cid=170395
MindEdge. (2024). Module Six: Analyzing History, continued | Learning Block 6-1: Analyzing Historical Texts. In MindEdge, HIS 200: Applied History
(pp. Module Six: Analyzing
History, continued | Learning Block 6-2: Desegregating Boston's Schools 1-3). MindEdge.
MindEdge. (2024). Module Two: Approaches to History, continued | Learning Block 2-3 | Page 2
of 3
. Retrieved from https://snhu.mindedgeonline.com/content.php?cid=170388: https://snhu.mindedgeonline.com/content.php?cid=170388
RESOURCES, B. B. (2024 Northeastern University). The Boston Public Schools Desegregation Collection
. Retrieved from Northeastern University: https://bpsdesegregation.library.northeastern.edu/
.
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