RACE AND EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY.

ONLY SCHOOL INTEGRATION CAN PROVIDE NEGRO STUDENTS WITH EQUALITY OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY. AS CONFIRMED BY DATA FROM SUCH STUDIES AS THE COLEMAN REPORT AND THE U.S. COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS REPORT, "RACIAL ISOLATION IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS," THE SOCIAL CLASS AND RACIAL COMPOSITION OF A SCHOOL STRONGLY INFLUENCES STUDENTS' ACHIEVEMENT AND ASPIRATIONS. NEGRO STUDENTS IN CLASSROOMS WHICH ARE MORE THAN HALF WHITE, AND ESPECIALLY STUDENTS IN CLASSROOMS WHERE THERE IS COMPLETE INTERRACIAL ACCEPTANCE, ACHIEVE AT A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER LEVEL THAN NEGRO STUDENTS IN SEGREGATED CLASSROOMS. HOWEVER WHITE PUPILS IN PREDOMINANTLY NEGRO CLASSROOMS PERFORM BELOW THE LEVEL OF WHITE STUDENTS IN ALL-WHITE SCHOOLS. INTERRACIAL EDUCATION BENEFITS BOTH WHITE AND NEGRO STUDENTS BY OFFERING THEM CONTACTS WHICH HELP TO PREPARE THEM FOR INTERRACIAL LIVING AS ADULTS. NEGRO STUDENTS IN INTEGRATED CLASSROOMS TEND TO HAVE A GREATER, MORE INTERNALIZED SENSE OF CONTROL OVER THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS AND ALSO TEND TO EVALUATE THEMSELVES ACCORDING TO MORE MIDDLE-CLASS, AND THUS HIGHER, STANDARDS OF ACHIEVEMENT AND ASPIRATION. NEGRO STUDENTS WHO HAVE CLOSE WHITE FRIENDS IN THEIR PEER GROUP MAKE THE MOST USE OF THIS CROSS-RACIAL SELF-EVALUATION, AND THUS ARE THE MOST STRONGLY AFFECTED BY THEIR INTERRACIAL SCHOOL EXPERIENCE. THIS PAPER WAS PRESENTED AT A SYMPOSIUM ON IMPLICATIONS OF COLEMAN REPORT ON EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY, WASHINGTON, D.C., SEPTEMBER 3, 1967. (LB)