De Facto Segregation (Noun)
Meaning
Segregation (especially in schools) that happens in fact although not required by law.
Classification
Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects.
Examples
- De facto segregation remains a pressing issue in many US cities, even after the official end of "separate but equal" policies in schools.
- Despite the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, many African American students still faced de facto segregation in some Southern schools due to their zip code.
- De facto segregation in Baltimore's schools often resulted from discriminatory housing policies that limited educational opportunities for minority students.
- Although the Supreme Court had outlawed segregation in public schools by the late 1960s, de facto segregation persisted for many years as school district boundaries tended to mirror the socioeconomic and racial divisions in surrounding neighborhoods.
- Some critics argue that modern-day school choice policies may inadvertently perpetuate de facto segregation by giving already-advantaged families greater control over their children's educational opportunities.