Time line and analysis
based on research of newspaper articles from Temple University's Urban Archives, and class presentations by
Dr. Anne Phillips and Mr. Michael Hardiman, Esq.
Students who worked on the section:
Information from Dr. Anne Phillips: Nellie Sanchez and Tanesha Lewis
Information from Mr. Hardiman: Abdeel Bhatti and Wen Feng Chen
Analysis of all information: Abdeel Bhatti, Malik Bostic-Smith, Wen Feng Chen, Jose Colon, Kevin DeJoie, Tanesha Lewis, Kareem McCafferty, Sean McGregor, Rafael Nako, Nellie Sanchez, Alex Stokes, Heather Volent, Jerrell Walden
Philadelphia schools were desegregated by law in 1881. Before 1881, there were four schools for African American students. The schools were located in South Philadelphia near 6th and Lombard Streets. Northeast High School (not Central High School) was the first public high school to admit African American students. Philadelphia continued to discriminate against African American teachers. (African American couldn't teach high school or become principals).
In the 1950s, there was "de facto" segregation based on neighborhood demographics. The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission in 1969 took the School District of Philadelphia to court to end "defacto" segregation. It took ten years to begin to implement a voluntary desegregation program in Philadelphia. (Harry Silcox, speaking to our class on May 13, 2003) .
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Key dates in Philadelphia's school desegregation in the 1950s - 1960s (from list presented by Dr. Phillips)
--1953: Example of the School Board of Philadelphia maintaining racial segregation in schools
Day School is built in Northwest Philadelphia. Emlen School in 1952 was 64.4% African American and in 1955 was
86.1% African American. The boundary lines for Day School were drawn to further segregated Emlen School while
Day School became a "white" school. The School Board could have drawn the boundary lines by a road which would have integrated the schools. Instead, it used a railroad track which created two segregated schools in adjacent neighborhoods.
--May 17, 1954: Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka, KS was passed by the United States Supreme Court. The Court concluded "separate is inherently unequal."
--1955: "Implementation Decision" (Brown II), schools were told to desegregated "with all deliberate speed."
--1957: Civil Rights Act was passed the Commission on Civil Rights was created
--1957: One of the best known school desegregation fights began in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957
--June 7, 1961: Chisholm v. Board of Public Education was a school desegregation suit filed in federal court against the School District of Philadelphia (Leon Higginbotham was the head of the NAACP and the chief attorney in the case)
--1963: Judge Wood insists the School District of Philadelphia submit a desegregation plan
Congress on Racial Equality (CORE) led sit-ins at Philadelphia City Hall demanding the hiring of African Americans on public construction jobs.
Philadelphia NAACP led by Cecil B. Moore held mass demonstrations at the Strawberry Mansion School construction site.
Coordinating Council for School Integration was formed by community organizations to work to have local schools desegregated. (The organization was chaired by Sylvia Meek. It ended in 1968).
In Philadelphia, Four Hundred Ministers threatened direct action. As a result, the Educational Improvement Program was implemented in grades 1 - 3 in about 60 schools. The program ended after 3 years when funding was cut.
--1964: Philadelphia' School Board announced it was going to bus students to relieve overcrowding. There were protests.
The students from the overcrowded schools were African American, and they were being bused to predominantly European American school. The protesters organized a group called the Parents and Taxpayers Association in 1964.
Mayor Tate and City Council President D'Ortona encouraged the European American opposition by speaking out against busing. D'Ortona campaigned throughout the city against busing.
August 28, 1964: 3 days of riots began in Philadelphia on Columbia Ave. (today Cecil B. Moore Ave.)
--1965: Elementary and Secondary Education Act passed. School districts found to be in violation of federal law would not receive monies under the act.
In the summer, picketing around Girard College (a private, residential, free school for "orphaned white boys" funded by an endowment from Stephen Girard) was the symbolic focus for the school desegregation movement in Philadelphia.
--1967: Police Commissioner Rizzo led an attack on African American students who were demonstrating for "Black
Studies" in the Philadelphia public schools. (Rizzo was elected mayor in 1968 and 1972.)
--1968: School desegregation in Philadelphia shifts to the state under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.
__________________________________________________________________________
Mr. Michael Hardiman, Esq. worked with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.
The Commission was formed in 1955 as the Pennsylvania Fair Employment Practice Commission. In 1961 it began to include problems with discrimination. In 1968 the Commission told the School Board of Philadelphia to desegregated the schools. In 1970, when the School Board did not submit the desegregation plan, the Commission filed a law suit against the School District. The Court declared the School District of Philadelphia "unlawfully segregated." The School District appealed the decision in 1972 and the Court again told the School District to desegregated. From that point, the Commission worked with the School District to desegregated the schools. As of 2003, the case is still open and many schools are still segregated.
Chronology of Interaction Between the School District and
The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission Desegregation Plan and Funding Fact Sheet (from Temple Urban Archives files) (February 1968 - November 14, 1973)
1. 2/68: The PA Human Relations Committee mandated the Phila. School District prepare a plan to desegregate the Phila. public schools.
2. 6/68: School District requested and was granted a 90 day extension on submitting a plan
3. 9/68: School District's plan includes a once a week opportunity for elementary students from uniracial black and white school to get together
4. 10/68: Overwhelming negative community reaction at School Board meeting primarily from white community
5. 11/68: After 37 cluster meetings, "strong conclusion was expressed that educational excellence must take priority over the physical mixing of students in cases where both can't be achieved together"
6. 12/68: School District ask PA Human Relations Commission for financial help
7. 5/69: Extensive plan submitted outlining School District's best intentions in the light of the hearings '"feasibility of which will have to be determined by Federal and State governments willingness to pay for them by the willingness of the people of Philadelphia to accept them"
8. 7/69: PA Human Relations Commission called Philadelphia's plan unsatisfactory for lack of information
9. 11/69: More information sent to PA Human Relations Commission
10. 11 - 12 / 70: Series of meetings with the PA Human Relations Commission staff and School District staff where PHRC staff shared their suggestions on 16 ways the School District could move to achieve greater physical desegregation
11. 12 / 70 - 1/ 71: School District asks Council of Greater City Schools for more money for desegregation
12. 6/71: Final Order and Findings of Fact from the PA Human Relations Commission to the Philadelphia School District (on desegregation plan)
13. 8/71: Initial steps were taken by the Office of Community Affairs for the submission of a desegregation plan for consideration by the Superintendentand School Board as a response to : (1) State Human Relations Commission Order to desegregate, and (2) making application for a grant under the Emergency School Assistance Program
14. 8/72: Commonwealth Court of Philadelphia consolidated cases of Philadelphia and 4 other school districts and ordered them to submit a minimum acceptable plan to the PA Human Relations Commission
15. 9/72: PA Human Relations Commission handed down an amended Final Order to submit a desegregation plan by January 1973 (Philadelphia Board of Education requested two extensions)
16. 9/73: Philadelphia Human Relations commission agreed to cooperate with the School District in preparation for desegregation plan. Board member Mr. Augustus Baster is Desegregation Chairman.
17. 10/73: Community Desegregation Task Force established in help of preparation of desegregation plan
18. 11/73: Judge Wilkinson, Jr. orders School District to submit a plan for school desegregation by February 15, 1974
In the 1950s, there was "de facto" segregation based on neighborhood demographics. The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission in 1969 took the School District of Philadelphia to court to end "defacto" segregation. It took ten years to begin to implement a voluntary desegregation program in Philadelphia. (Harry Silcox, speaking to our class on May 13, 2003) .
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Key dates in Philadelphia's school desegregation in the 1950s - 1960s (from list presented by Dr. Phillips)
--1953: Example of the School Board of Philadelphia maintaining racial segregation in schools
Day School is built in Northwest Philadelphia. Emlen School in 1952 was 64.4% African American and in 1955 was
86.1% African American. The boundary lines for Day School were drawn to further segregated Emlen School while
Day School became a "white" school. The School Board could have drawn the boundary lines by a road which would have integrated the schools. Instead, it used a railroad track which created two segregated schools in adjacent neighborhoods.
--May 17, 1954: Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka, KS was passed by the United States Supreme Court. The Court concluded "separate is inherently unequal."
--1955: "Implementation Decision" (Brown II), schools were told to desegregated "with all deliberate speed."
--1957: Civil Rights Act was passed the Commission on Civil Rights was created
--1957: One of the best known school desegregation fights began in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957
--June 7, 1961: Chisholm v. Board of Public Education was a school desegregation suit filed in federal court against the School District of Philadelphia (Leon Higginbotham was the head of the NAACP and the chief attorney in the case)
--1963: Judge Wood insists the School District of Philadelphia submit a desegregation plan
Congress on Racial Equality (CORE) led sit-ins at Philadelphia City Hall demanding the hiring of African Americans on public construction jobs.
Philadelphia NAACP led by Cecil B. Moore held mass demonstrations at the Strawberry Mansion School construction site.
Coordinating Council for School Integration was formed by community organizations to work to have local schools desegregated. (The organization was chaired by Sylvia Meek. It ended in 1968).
In Philadelphia, Four Hundred Ministers threatened direct action. As a result, the Educational Improvement Program was implemented in grades 1 - 3 in about 60 schools. The program ended after 3 years when funding was cut.
--1964: Philadelphia' School Board announced it was going to bus students to relieve overcrowding. There were protests.
The students from the overcrowded schools were African American, and they were being bused to predominantly European American school. The protesters organized a group called the Parents and Taxpayers Association in 1964.
Mayor Tate and City Council President D'Ortona encouraged the European American opposition by speaking out against busing. D'Ortona campaigned throughout the city against busing.
August 28, 1964: 3 days of riots began in Philadelphia on Columbia Ave. (today Cecil B. Moore Ave.)
--1965: Elementary and Secondary Education Act passed. School districts found to be in violation of federal law would not receive monies under the act.
In the summer, picketing around Girard College (a private, residential, free school for "orphaned white boys" funded by an endowment from Stephen Girard) was the symbolic focus for the school desegregation movement in Philadelphia.
--1967: Police Commissioner Rizzo led an attack on African American students who were demonstrating for "Black
Studies" in the Philadelphia public schools. (Rizzo was elected mayor in 1968 and 1972.)
--1968: School desegregation in Philadelphia shifts to the state under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.
__________________________________________________________________________
Mr. Michael Hardiman, Esq. worked with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.
The Commission was formed in 1955 as the Pennsylvania Fair Employment Practice Commission. In 1961 it began to include problems with discrimination. In 1968 the Commission told the School Board of Philadelphia to desegregated the schools. In 1970, when the School Board did not submit the desegregation plan, the Commission filed a law suit against the School District. The Court declared the School District of Philadelphia "unlawfully segregated." The School District appealed the decision in 1972 and the Court again told the School District to desegregated. From that point, the Commission worked with the School District to desegregated the schools. As of 2003, the case is still open and many schools are still segregated.
Chronology of Interaction Between the School District and
The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission Desegregation Plan and Funding Fact Sheet (from Temple Urban Archives files) (February 1968 - November 14, 1973)
1. 2/68: The PA Human Relations Committee mandated the Phila. School District prepare a plan to desegregate the Phila. public schools.
2. 6/68: School District requested and was granted a 90 day extension on submitting a plan
3. 9/68: School District's plan includes a once a week opportunity for elementary students from uniracial black and white school to get together
4. 10/68: Overwhelming negative community reaction at School Board meeting primarily from white community
5. 11/68: After 37 cluster meetings, "strong conclusion was expressed that educational excellence must take priority over the physical mixing of students in cases where both can't be achieved together"
6. 12/68: School District ask PA Human Relations Commission for financial help
7. 5/69: Extensive plan submitted outlining School District's best intentions in the light of the hearings '"feasibility of which will have to be determined by Federal and State governments willingness to pay for them by the willingness of the people of Philadelphia to accept them"
8. 7/69: PA Human Relations Commission called Philadelphia's plan unsatisfactory for lack of information
9. 11/69: More information sent to PA Human Relations Commission
10. 11 - 12 / 70: Series of meetings with the PA Human Relations Commission staff and School District staff where PHRC staff shared their suggestions on 16 ways the School District could move to achieve greater physical desegregation
11. 12 / 70 - 1/ 71: School District asks Council of Greater City Schools for more money for desegregation
12. 6/71: Final Order and Findings of Fact from the PA Human Relations Commission to the Philadelphia School District (on desegregation plan)
13. 8/71: Initial steps were taken by the Office of Community Affairs for the submission of a desegregation plan for consideration by the Superintendentand School Board as a response to : (1) State Human Relations Commission Order to desegregate, and (2) making application for a grant under the Emergency School Assistance Program
14. 8/72: Commonwealth Court of Philadelphia consolidated cases of Philadelphia and 4 other school districts and ordered them to submit a minimum acceptable plan to the PA Human Relations Commission
15. 9/72: PA Human Relations Commission handed down an amended Final Order to submit a desegregation plan by January 1973 (Philadelphia Board of Education requested two extensions)
16. 9/73: Philadelphia Human Relations commission agreed to cooperate with the School District in preparation for desegregation plan. Board member Mr. Augustus Baster is Desegregation Chairman.
17. 10/73: Community Desegregation Task Force established in help of preparation of desegregation plan
18. 11/73: Judge Wilkinson, Jr. orders School District to submit a plan for school desegregation by February 15, 1974