Publisher's Synopsis
Being on the Wrong Side of History: The Re-Segregation of Norfolk Public Schools examines the initial retreat from school desegregation in a racially and economically divided American city. It details the use of gentrification, racial stereotyping and fear to win grassroots support for a calculated political effort to further separate the haves and have-notes. Norfolk, Virginia is a city with a history of racial animus, from the days of the slave trade through periods of Massive Resistance, to the current racial and economic divisions. The call for a return to neighborhood schools in Norfolk provided the necessary impetus to spark the grassroots resurgence and enhanced political rhetoric necessary to meet the needs of those who believed that segregation is either not a salient concern to most Americans, or that a segregated America is preferred. This book suggests that the interplay of politics, culture and power serve multiple purposes. The maintenance of segregated inferior schools for the Blacks sustains social castes that ultimately support the current economic and political structure. The movement to re-segregate schools in America began in Norfolk, Virginia and continues to this day across the United States, unabated.
