Mankind Quarterly, Vol. 46, No. 1 (Fall 2005)
pp. 81-98

Law, Social Science, Federal and State Agencies, Resurgence of Tabula Rasa, and Perpetuation of Racial Problems
Ralph Scott

In Brown v. Board of Education, largely relying on social science evidence, the U.S. Supreme Court concluded that the Black-White academic achievement gap was largely if not entirely attributable to racial segregation of schools. Guided by Brown, lower courts initially outlawed de jure school segregation which had denied African-American children the right to attend neighborhood schools. Subsequently, and again based on Brown, rulings were broadened to implement de facto desegregation which ignored neighborhood considerations and required "racially balanced schools."