Still Separate and Unequal: Examining Race, Opportunity, and School Achievement in "Integrated" Suburbs

Recent research examines the Black/White achievement gap in integrated, affluent suburban schools. This gap is particularly vexing more than 50 years after the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision emphasized creating educational equity through school desegregation. Drawing on a case study of one suburban school district, this article details the structural, institutional, and symbolic inequalities that characterize such settings and contribute to educational inequality. The case reveals that, even in ostensibly integrated suburbs, Black and White students navigate a racialized educational terrain that provides cumulative advantages for Whites and disadvantages for Blacks. Implications for the future of race and educational achievement are discussed.