Now twenty-five years later, blacks once again are barred from certain schools. More perniciously, blacks are barred from some of the best schools in the district.
G. Gardner Shugart Middle School for example has a special science, math, and technology program. The program has 75 unfilled openings with no white, Hispanic, or Asian student to fill them. Meanwhile, 77 black students languish on the program's waiting list lest the school have too many African-American students. In all, nearly 400 African-American students in the Prince George's County are denied access to special academic programs because of race.
Twenty-five years ago, 75% of Prince George's County's students were white. Now 75% are black. Part of this is the result of white flight in the early 1970's. Part is the continual stampede of middle-class blacks from Mayor Marion Barry's Left-wing worker's paradise, Washington DC.
Prince George's County is physically large. In 1985, it was clear that increasing the already large busing effort was not only unpopular, but nearly impossible given demographic dispersal. At one point, primary school-age children faced the prospect of 45-minute one-way bus rides.
The court approved an alternative magnet school program. Schools with special programs in math, science, languages and the performing arts and schools catering to the ``talented and gifted'' were established in predominately black schools. White, Asian, and Hispanic students requested busing to these programs further integrating the schools.
As the changing demographics of the population created an even larger black majority, it became harder and harder to find dwindling numbers of non-black students for these magnet schools. So anxious African-American students are trying to get into these magnet programs and are denied admission on the basis of skin pigmentation.
Despite requests from the school board and black parents of children waiting for admission, US District Court Judge Peter Messite would not permit black students to attend the special magnet schools.
Clearly, the judge feels that his judgement as to what is best for black students is superior to their parents' judgement. At best, this constitutes excessively condescending and paternal behavior. Welcome to the plantation of the 1990's.
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