Hobson v. Hansen facts for kids

Hobson v. Hansen was an important federal court case in 1967. It was started by Julius W. Hobson, a civil rights activist. He sued Superintendent Carl F. Hansen and the District of Columbia Board of Education. Hobson argued that the school system was unfair to Black and poor students. He said it stopped them from getting the same education as white and wealthier students.

Earlier, in 1954, the case Bolling v. Sharpe made de jure segregation illegal. This meant segregation by law was not allowed. But Hobson v. Hansen looked at de facto segregation. This is segregation that happens in real life, even if it's not by law. Judge J. Skelly Wright ruled in favor of Hobson. He said the school system's policies, like "tracking" students and "optional-transfer zones," caused schools to become segregated again. These policies were put in place after schools were legally desegregated.

Why the Case Happened: Historical Context

After World War II, many white families moved from cities to the suburbs. They were looking for bigger homes and easier ways to get loans. This move also caused jobs and even government offices to leave the cities.

Civil rights changes in the late 1940s and early 1950s sped up this move. The Supreme Court ruled against segregation in housing (Hurd v. Hodge, 1948) and education (Bolling v. Sharpe, 1954). With Black people now legally allowed to live in white neighborhoods, many white people worried. They feared their property values would drop, schools would get worse, and their social status would be lost. This led to what is called White flight.

Between 1950 and 1960, many white people left Washington D.C. The number of white residents dropped from 65% to 45%. At the same time, the number of Black residents rose from 35% to 54%. This made it hard to keep neighborhoods mixed. Segregation in where people lived became stronger.

This was also seen in schools. Ten years after the Bolling decision, most schools were still very segregated. For example, 126 out of 185 elementary schools were 90-100% Black. Only thirteen were 90-100% white. So, even though segregation was illegal, it still existed in practice.

Key People and Background of the Case

Julius Hobson: A Champion for Equal Education

The mid-1960s were a time of big changes in Washington D.C. African Americans were fighting for better rights, but they also faced strong opposition. Education was very important for many, including Julius W. Hobson. He grew up in a family that valued learning.

Hobson's anger at the school system started early. He had to drive his son past a white elementary school to get to an overcrowded Black school a mile away. From that moment, he wanted justice for his family and all Black families.

In 1965, before the lawsuit, Hobson said he was against the "track system" and testing. He started his fight with peaceful protests. He wanted to boycott schools and have the superintendent removed. He joined many groups that supported Black rights, like the Parent Teacher Association and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

His work gained national attention. He was hired by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). This group used peaceful actions to challenge unfairness. Hobson worked to get better jobs, housing, and education for African Americans. Later, his methods became more direct, leading to his lawsuit against the school system.

The School System's Policies

In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled in Bolling v. Sharpe that D.C.'s segregated schools were unconstitutional. After this, D.C. school officials started a "neighborhood school policy." This meant students went to schools close to their homes. By 1955, 73% of schools had some mix of races.

After schools were integrated, Dr. Hansen, who was an Assistant Superintendent, saw a problem. He received reports that Black students' achievement scores were much lower in basic skills. This difference was a result of the old "separate but equal" system.

To deal with these differences, the Board of Education created two new policies:

• Optional-transfer zones: These allowed students to transfer from crowded, mostly Black schools to less crowded, mostly white schools.
• Track system: This placed students into different learning groups based on their supposed ability.

Dr. Hansen explained the track system in his book. He said it aimed for "equality of education" and "quality education." The system had different "tracks" for students:

• Honors: For very smart students.
• General: For average and above-average students.
• Basic or Special Academic: For students needing more help.

In high school, there was also a "Regular Track." Students in the Basic or General tracks often couldn't take classes needed for college. While the system was supposed to be flexible, many felt it discriminated against Black and poor students.

Starting the Lawsuit

Julius Hobson's daughter, Jean, was placed in the basic track in middle school. Because of this, Hobson filed a lawsuit against Superintendent Carl Hansen. The case was heard by Judge J. Skelly Wright.

Hobson argued that even after desegregation, the school system was still unfair. He said it put Black students into lower academic tracks that didn't have enough resources. This discouraged them from achieving. The main question was: Did the school system unfairly deny Black and poor students equal education? Hobson was represented by lawyers William Kunstler and Herbert O. Reid, Sr..

Arguments in the Case

The plaintiffs (Hobson and the students he represented) argued that the track system was unfair to Black and poor students. They showed evidence that students from lower-income, mostly Black schools were often stuck in the lower tracks.

They also argued that the tests used to place students were unfair. These "aptitude tests" were often designed for middle-class white students. This meant disadvantaged students were at a disadvantage from the start. This created a "self-fulfilling prophecy," where students were expected to do poorly and then did.

Other arguments included:

• Unequal quality of school buildings and resources.
• Less money spent per student in Black schools.
• Lower quality teachers in Black schools.
• Teachers were often segregated by race.
• Black schools were overcrowded, while white schools had empty space.

The plaintiffs believed that education was a "critical right" for minority groups. They argued that the court needed to step in when important personal rights were at risk. They showed that the negative effects of the track system and neighborhood schools outweighed any benefits.

The defendants (Superintendent Hansen and the Board of Education) argued that students were placed in tracks only based on their ability and needs. They admitted there was a link between track placement and a student's economic background. However, they denied that race played a role. Dr. Hansen said the track system was created before desegregation. But the court noted that it was used to respond to problems that arose after integration.

The Court's Decision

On June 19, 1967, the federal court sided with Hobson. The court found that the education system was unfair to Black and poor students. Judge Wright said the Washington school system was a "monument to the cynicism of the power structure."

The court ordered several changes: 1. Stop all racial and economic discrimination in schools. 2. Get rid of the track system. 3. Get rid of the optional-transfer zones. 4. Offer busing for students from crowded schools in the eastern part of the city to less crowded schools in the western part. 5. By October 2, 1967, the school system had to create a plan to end discrimination in student assignments. 6. Start integrating teachers in every school by the 1967-68 school year. 7. By October 2, 1967, the school system had to create a plan to fully integrate teachers in every school.

Judge Wright said the track system was "undemocratic and discriminatory." He pointed out that it decided which students would get high-paying jobs and which would get manual labor jobs. He said it was too risky for a democracy to let children be limited by such a system. The court's ruling went beyond just ending legal segregation. It also said that de facto segregation was unconstitutional.

What Happened Next: Ramifications

Legal Consequences and Further Actions

After the decision, Superintendent Hansen wanted to appeal it. But the Board of Education voted not to appeal and told Hansen not to. Hansen then resigned and appealed anyway, along with another Board member and 20 parents. Judge Wright did not allow their appeal, saying they had no legal right to intervene.

The U.S. Court of Appeals upheld Judge Wright's 1967 decision. They confirmed that optional zones should be abolished, teachers should be integrated, and voluntary busing should be offered. The order to abolish tracking was interpreted to mean the specific system used at the time, not to prevent any future tracking system.

Julius Hobson then focused on making sure the school system followed the court's decision. He started the Washington Institute for Quality Education. This group worked to improve education in D.C. through court actions and by watching the school system closely.

Questions about how well the Hobson v. Hansen order was followed led to more legal action. This included calls for equal spending per student in all elementary schools. In 1969, Hobson, who was now an elected member of the Board, went back to court. This led to another legal battle called Hobson II. In 1971, the court set standards for spending to ensure the school system operated fairly. This brought an end to Hobson's major legal fights.

Lasting Effects of De Facto Segregation

After the court's order, changes began. The school board started building programs to fix unequal school facilities. The tracking system and optional-transfer zones were removed, just as Hobson wanted. School boundaries were changed to fill schools more evenly. If needed, students could be bused from crowded schools in the east to less crowded ones in the west.

To integrate teachers, the Board looked at schools where the number of Black and white teachers was very different from the city average. Teachers could transfer voluntarily. New teachers were assigned to schools to help balance the racial makeup of the staff.

The year after the decision, Congress changed how School Board members were chosen. They would now be elected by the people of D.C., not appointed. Julius Hobson himself became an elected member.

With both legal and practical segregation declared unconstitutional, there were opportunities for schools to become more mixed. However, resistance to these changes was seen in the decline of white student enrollment. Between 1967 and 1968, white enrollment in elementary schools dropped by 16%. This was twice the rate of decline from previous years.