Civil Wrongs

In 1991, I read an editorial in the Richmond Afro-American newspaper commenting on a survey conducted by Professor Howard Schuman, a University of Michigan sociologist and research scientist.

“According to Dr. Schuman,” the editorial noted, “White Americans think of integration as meaning one Black in a group of 15 Whites where the Whites are in complete control. Black Americans, on the other hand, think of integration as meaning a ratio of 50 to 50 where either a White or Black person could be dominant.”

The editorial quoted Dr. Schuman as saying “It is not that survey respondents say one thing and secretly believe another. But, when White Americans say they favor integrated schools or neighborhoods, what they really mean is a few Black students or families in a predominately White environment.”