Boston Public Schools Historical Research: Busing Crisis
This guide provides resources and strategies for researching the history of the Boston Public School system, individual schools and guidance on finding high school yearbooks.
BPS History
Home - General histories of the Boston Public School system and individual schools
Busing Crisis - The most controversial era for the Boston Public Schools
Official Records - Available from the Boston Public Library or the Boston Public School Department
Schools - Researching specific school names, school buildings and images
Yearbooks - Finding yearbooks for specific schools
Desegregating Boston Public Schools
Desegregation of the Boston Public Schools was an issue in the 1950's and 1960's, but came to a head in the 1970s with the U.S. District Court decision in the case of Morgan v Hennigan (379 F.Supp 410). This decision led to the oversight of the Boston Public Schools passing into the hands of W. Arthur Garrity, the judge in the case, until the 1980s. It is commonly referred to as the busing crisis or busing in Boston or simply busing.
Forty years later it has been added to the Boston Public Schools curriculum. Busing changed not just Boston's public school system, but its politics, demographics and culture. Possibly nothing in Boston's twentieth century history had a greater affect on the city and its citizens.
While not exhaustive, the following contains lists of material that chronicle, discuss and explain this still controversial era and its aftermath.
Books
Boston Against Busing by Call Number: LC214.523.B67 F67 1991ISBN: 9780807842928Publication Date: 1991-03-01In 'Boston Against Busing' Formisano explores the sources of white opposition to school desegregation. He sees white resistance as an example of reactionary populism, a social movement mixing both populist and conservative elements.
Common Ground by Call Number: F73.9.A1 L85 1986ISBN: 9780394746166Publication Date: 1986-08-12Winner of 3 different awards, this is a story of the busing crisis in Boston.
Liberty's Chosen Home by Call Number: LC214.23.B67 L86 1988ISBN: 0807004030Publication Date: 1988-02-01
A People's History of the New Boston by Call Number: F73.52 .V73 2014ISBN: 9781625340757Publication Date: 2014-07-01The story of the grassroots activism that transformed Boston in the 1960s and 1970s
Rebound! by Call Number: GV885.52.B67 C66 2008ISBN: 9780760335017Publication Date: 2008-12-12In the mid-1970s, the Boston Celtics' long dominance of the NBA came to an abrupt end, and the city's image as a hub of social justice was shaken to its core. When the federal courts declared, in 1974, that the city was in violation of school desegregation rulings and would need to institute a busing program, Boston became deeply polarized. Then, just as the city was struggling to pull itself out of economic and social turmoil, the Boston Celtics drafted a forward from Indiana State named Larry Bird. Upon the arrival of the "Hick from French Lick" to Boston in 1979, the fates of team and city were reborn. In Rebound!, author Michael Connelly chronicles these parallel but intertwining worlds. It is an account of a city in financial, moral, and social decline brought back to life by the re-emergence of the Boston Celtics dynasty and the return of hope, purpose, and pride to "Hub of the Universe."
The Soiling of Old Glory by Call Number: F73.9.A1 M38 2008ISBN: 9781596913646Publication Date: 2008-04-01Sometimes a moment can change history. This one took 1/250th of a second. The photograph strikes us with visceral force, even years after the instant it captured. A white man, rage written on his face, lunges to spear a black man who is being held by another white. The assailant's weapon is the American flag. Boston, April 5, 1976: As the city simmered with racial tension over forced school busing, newsman Stanley Forman hurried to City Hall to photograph that day's protest, arriving just in time to snap the image that his editor would title "The Soiling of Old Glory." The photo made headlines across the U.S. and won Forman his second Pulitzer Prize. It shocked Boston, and America: Racial strife had not only not ended with the 1960s, it was alive and well in the cradle of liberty. Louis P. Masur's evocative "biography of a photograph" unpacks this arresting image in a tour de force of historical writing. He examines the power of photography and the meaning of the flag, asking why this one picture had so much impact. Most poignantly, Masur recreates the moment and its aftermath, drawing on extensive interviews with Forman and the figures in the photo to reveal not just how the incident happened, but how it changed the lives of the men in it. The Soiling of Old Glory, like the photograph it is named for, offers a dramatic window onto the turbulence of the 1970s and race relations in America.
Turmoil and Transition in Boston by Call Number: JS615 .D42 2013xISBN: 9780761861829Publication Date: 2013-08-15Turmoil and Transition in Boston tells the personal and political story of Larry DiCara, the youngest person ever elected to the Boston City Council. DiCara s story is intimately woven into the fate of his hometown of Boston. Then a federal court order mandating busing to achieve racial integration in the public schools ripped apart his city. DiCara shows how public policy decisions and economic and demographic changes from that time transformed Boston into one of America s most diverse, affluent, and successful cities in the twenty-first century."
A Piece of Chalk by ISBN: 9781634139199Publication Date: 2016-06-07Boston's 1970s busing crisis is a critical moment in America's civil rights movement. Championed as a solution to segregation in northern city schools, forced busing became one of the most divisive and regrettable episodes in Boston's long and distinguished history. What ensued was a firestorm of riots, heavy-handed police response, political ping-pong, disenfranchised students, and lawsuits.Beginning in 1821, Boston English High School, the oldest public high school in America, had a prestigious history as the first public secondary school in America. By the 1970s it was the epicenter of desegregation, and crumbling under the pressure. Author Joe Dotoli was in the thick of it as a young science teacher.Today this story isn't so much one of clear triumph as perseverance in a racial and economic struggle still making American headlines today.
The Battle of Boston by Call Number: LC214.53.B67 H54ISBN: 9780873484718Publication Date: 1977-07-01
The Boston School Integration Dispute by Call Number: LC214.23.B67 S54 1984ISBN: 0231059213Publication Date: 1984-01-01
From Little Rock to Boston by Call Number: LC214.2 .M46 1983ISBN: 9780313234705Publication Date: 1983-05-27tcalf /f George /i R.
The hardest lesson: personal accounts of a school desegregation crisis by Call Number: LC214.23.B67 B84ISBN: 9780316114776Publication Date: 1980Describes how the desegregation of the Boston schools in the 1970's affected the lives of selected individual students and several adults, chosen to represent a cross section of the community.
I Respectfully Disagree with the Judge's Order by Call Number: LC214.523.B67 R67ISBN: 0819116580Publication Date: 1981-11-01
Reforming Boston Schools, 1930 to the Present by Call Number: LA306.B7 C76 2011ISBN: 0230111459Publication Date: 2008-02-15Boston’s schools in 2006 won the Eli Broad Prize for the Most Improved Urban School System in America. But from the 1930s into the 1970s the city schools succumbed to scandals including the sale of jobs and racial segregation. This book describes the black voices before and after court decisions and the struggles of Boston teachers before and after collective bargaining. The contributions of universities, corporations and political leaders to restore academic achievement are evaluated by one who observed Boston schools for forty years.
School Desegregation and Defended Neighborhoods by Call Number: LC214.523.B67 B83ISBN: 9780669026467Publication Date: 1981-10-01
- Black Sisyphus: Boston schools and the Black community,1790-2000 byCall Number: LA306 .B7U559 2003axPublication Date: 2003Photocopy of thesis. Also available through the Dissertations and Theses database.
- Court desengagement in the Boston public schools toward a theory of restorative law byCall Number: LC214.23 .B67 1983xPublication Date: 1983Thesis on microform. Also available through the Dissertations and Theses database.
- The effects of court-ordered school desegregation on the public school system of Boston, Massachusetts byCall Number: LC214.23.B67 O36 1996axPublication Date: 1996Photocopy of thesis. Also available through the Dissertations and Theses database.
- Nothing will stop us: the climax of racial segregation in the Boston public schools, 1963-1974 byCall Number: LC212.23.B67 C48 1979axPublication Date: 1979Thesis on microform
- The organization of anti-busing protest in Boston, 1973-1976 byCall Number: LC214.523.B67 B43 1981axPublication Date: 1981Thesis on microform.
- Social conflict and social movements an exploratory study of the black community of Boston attempting to change the Boston public schools byCall Number: LC214.23.B67 M68 1976axPublication Date: 1976Thesis on microform. Also available through the Dissertations and Theses database.
- Farah Stockman's Boston Globe commentaryThis page contains links to Farah Stockman's commentary on the legacy of busing published in the Boston Globe, for which she won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for commentary.
Find a wealth of material--including film, audio files, photographs, letters, archival material from local organizations, and more, on the Digital Commonwealth website. This link shows all the available material digitized in Digital Commonwealth related to the busing era in Boston.
Government Publications
- Report on Racial Imbalance in the Boston Public Schools byCall Number: CR1.2:SCH6/10BPublication Date: 1965Looks at the organization and racial composition of the schools; effect of discrimination in public housing; consideration of the policy of the Boston School Committee; comparison of student performance and teacher qualifications in predominately white, non-white and integrated schools and an examination of compensatory programs.
- Desegregating the Boston public schools: a crisis in civic responsibility by
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Call Number: LC214.23.B67 U54 1975Publication Date: 1975...findings and recommendations on the implementation of court ordered busing; presents testimony gathered at hearings in November 1974 and April and June 1975; explores the roles played by government agencies and private institutions during the opening of schools in the Fall of 1974...
- Hearing Before the United States Commission on Civil Rights; Hearing Held in Boston, Massachusetts, June 16-20, 1975.This resource includes the text of the 1975 hearing before the United States Commission on Civil Rights held to examine the program and plans for the desegregation of Boston's schools. Developments surrounding the implementation of Phase I as ordered by the Federal district court in 1974. Also included are the plans for the implementation of Phase II as ordered by the same court in June 1975. Statements by State and national officials, as well as testimony from politicians, students, school administrators, educators, and representatives of public and private agencies are included.
- School desegregation in Boston by
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Call Number: GOV DOCS CR1.2:SCH6/18Publication Date: 1975...traces the history of desegregation in the city; discusses court decisions, legislation, Phase I, Phase II and the activities of the federal government in trying to promote integration; describes the role of state and local agencies in dealing with the problem; the organization and administration of these agencies is discussed as well as their racial and ethnic make-up; includes demographic data on neighborhoods compiled from the 1970 US census... - Student desegregation plan byCall Number: GOVDOC/LB3062.U66XPublication Date: 1975..."Phase 2 plan"; shows number of minority and bilingual students in each school district; indicates which colleges and universities will work with each district; gives guidelines for assigning students, transportation considerations, timetables for implementation, etc....
- Student enrollment and attendance reports in the Boston Public School System are substantially accurate by
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Call Number: GOV DOCS GA 1.13:HRD-76-146Publication Date: 1976...a discussion of the results of tests of the accuracy of student enrollment and attendance figures reported by the Boston School Dept.; includes data on the racial composition of specific schools...
- Fastcase This link opens in a new windowFastcase’s libraries include primary law from all 50 states, as well as deep federal coverage going back to 1 U.S. 1, 1 F.2d 1, 1 F.Supp. 1, and 1 B.R. 1. The Fastcase collection includes cases, statutes, regulations, court rules, and constitutions. Fastcase also provides access to a newspaper archive, legal forms, and a one-stop PACER search of federal filings.
- Boston school desegregation project by
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Call Number: GOVDOC/LB3062.M365Publication Date: 1974This report presents a "detailed summary of efforts made toward the desegregation of the Boston schools since the early '60's"; covers the activities of citizens groups, the Boston School Committee and the MA Board of Education, as well as court decisions; includes brief summaries of desegregation efforts in other areas in the country. - The desegregation packet byCall Number: GOVDOC/LB3062.M365/1974BXPublication Date: 1974This packet is a compilation of reports giving a chronology of events in Boston, the constitutional background, financial prespectives, information on the use of the school bus in the US and brief factual material on desegregation in other US cities.
- Report no. 5 to the United States District Court, District of Massachusetts on Boston school desegregation, vol. 1 by
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Call Number: LC214.23.B67 M388 1985xPublication Date: 1985The fifth in a series of monitoring reports. Volume 1 summarizes major findings, recommendations, disputes and modifications. - Report no. 5 to the United States District Court, District of Massachusetts on Boston school desegregation, vol. 2 by
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Call Number: LC214.23.B67 M388 1985xPublication Date: 1985The fifth in a series of monitoring reports. Volume 2 contains full text of reports and supporting documentation. Reports cover topics such as: student assignments and special desegregation measures, school facilities, transportation and parent and student organization. - Revised short term plan to reduce racial imbalance in the Boston Public Schools by
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Call Number: LB3062 .M37Publication Date: 1973This report explains how the desegregation plan was devised, gives characteristics of each school district, such as current enrollment by race, safety hazards involved in transporting students and furthest travel distance for pupils; includes list of racially unbalanced schools.
- 1966-1967 plan toward the elimination of racial imbalance in the public schools by
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Call Number: M3.B16/SD/67.2Publication Date: 1967This report includes short-term proposals for immediate reduction of racial imbalance, open enrollment proposals, recommendations for long-term integration; lists first, second, and third stage projects in the school construction plan; discusses the establishment of middle schools and the closing of other schools; lists numbers of black and white students enrolled at every Boston public school (1966[?] statistics). - Proposals of the Boston school committee for conditions for termination of receivership with related timetable by
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Call Number: M3.B16/SD/77.1Publication Date: 1977Lists proposals on desegregation, staff and administration, programs, physical plant, safety and security which the Committee will implement upon termination of receivership of South Boston High School. - A statement of policy and recommendations on the subject of racial imbalance and education in Boston public schools byCall Number: LB3062 .B66Publication Date: 1965
- Student desegregation plan, December 16, 1974 in accordance with the order of October 31, 1974 of the u. S. District court, district of Massachusetts establishing filing date and general contents of a student desegregation plan byCall Number: GOVDOC/LB3062.S87XPublication Date: 1974This report includes description and maps showing proposed zones and districts; discussion of the philosophy underlying new educational programs; lengthy description of the magnet school concept; explores the problem of racial balance in Boston as it relates to the surrounging suburbs; indicates statistics on the enrollment of various minority students in the communities within the Boston standard metropolitan area; emphasizes the need for the suburbs to take responsibility for integrating schools and describes the aims of various regional groups that are working to that end.
- Student desegregation plan submitted by the school committee of the city of Boston, January 27, 1975 by
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Call Number: M3.B16/SD/75.1Publication Date: 1975This is the Boston School Committee's alternative to the Massachusetts State Plan of 1974. It includes a rationale for the planning approach, a description of the plan to desegregate, an implementation and process schedule and recommendations for involving the entire metropolitan area in desegregation.
Media and More
The resources listed below do not fit neatly in the boxes above. The Boston Globe and the Boston Public Schools have created websites tracking the history of desegregation in Boston. The City of Boston Archives has pre-selected collections of official records so you do not need to search a catalog. The ERIC database includes scholarly articles and government reports, many full-text. The Boston TV News Digital Library website returns 150 videos when Boston busing is searched.
- An alternative plan for the integration of Boston's public schools byCall Number: MK/75.1Publication Date: 1975An alternative plan submitted by then Massachusetts State Representative Mel King to Judge Arthur Garrity.
- Beyond Busing : Boston School Desegregation Archival Resources at Northeastern UniversityA place for educators, students, activists, researchers, and anyone with a general interest to begin investigating primary sources related to 35 plus years of work around school desegregation in the city. These sources explore the history of desegregation in Boston beginning with the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954 through to the Morgan v. Hennigan case in 1974.
- Boston Public Library Microtext CollectionA 2-reel collection of articles from the Boston Globe entitled Boston Busing, 1969-1975. These are arranged chronologically. The call number is LC214.53.B67B38x.
- Busing: 40 years laterThe Boston Globe's 40th anniversary report on busing in Boston. This website includes oral histories, photographs, video and in-depth articles.
- City of Boston ArchivesA collection of various city records from the Segregation Era, including those from the Citywide Parents Council, the Law Department, School Committee Secretary and Louise Day Hicks.
- Digital CommonwealthThis links leads to photos found after searching the terms, Busing - School Integration.
- History of Boston Busing and DesegregationAn online, interactive project of the Boston Public Schools intended for students, educators and average citizens.
- Moakley Archive and Institute Digital Collections at Suffolk UniversityRecordings and transcripts for a selection of the interviews available through the Moakley Oral History Project.
- Moakley Oral History Project at Suffolk UniversityThe Moakley Archive Oral History Project includes transcripts of taped interfiews with Congressman John Joseph (Joe) Moakley's family, friends, staff, colleagues, political opponents, and constituents on issues pertinent to his career. Under Interviews by Topic, interviews addressing busing are listed under the "Garrity Decision". These interviews may include other topics, so check the table of contents to see where the busing discussion occurs. See below for a link to audio for select interviews.
- Boston Globe (1872-1992) via Proquest This link opens in a new windowSearchable full-page and article reproductions back to the first issue on March 4, 1872. Coverage: Morning Edition only.
- Boston Globe (1980-Present) This link opens in a new windowProvides full-text articles for staff-written news items, feature stories, columns, and editorials for the Boston Globe. Coverage: 1980-present
- Boston TV News Digital Library This link opens in a new windowThis collaboration between the Boston Public Library, Cambridge Community television, Northeast Historic Film and WGBH Educational Foundation aims to bring to life local news stories produced in and about Boston from the early 1960’s to 2000.
Coverage:
Boston Public Library
WHDH film collection (1960- mid-1970s)
Cambridge Community Television (1988 to 1999)
Northeast Historic Film’s WCVB film collection (1970-1979)
WGBH
The Reporters (1970-1973)
Evening Compass (1973-1975)
Ten O’Clock News (1976-1991) - ERIC This link opens in a new windowThe Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, provides access to some 14,000 documents and over 20,000 journal articles from Resources in Education (RIE) and Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE). In addition, ERIC provides coverage of conferences, meetings, government documents, theses, dissertations, reports, audiovisual media, bibliographies, directories, books and monographs. Coverage: 1966-present