“Improve, Don’t Move”: Not The Best Look

Desegregation Deja Vu Over Contentious Redistricting Process in Howard County, Maryland

We’d all like to imagine that we’re the hero of our own narrative, wouldn’t we? I mean, we’re human — imperfect — but we mean well and usually try to be decent. And even if we’re not the hero, we definitely wouldn’t be cast as the villain, right? It’s those other people who are being selfish…unreasonable…evil.

Tl;dr

In Howard County, MD, one of the most wealthy and ethnically diverse counties in the state (if not the country), racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps persist, and disparities exist between schools in the wealthier enclaves and those in more densely populated neighborhoods. In what’s become an 11 month ordeal, the school board hired expert consultants to work with Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) superintendent, Dr. Michael Martirano, to study the issues and propose a redistricting plan focused on balancing school utilization and decreasing the concentration of poverty at certain schools.

Oh Snap!

Actually, everything was proceeding just fine until the superintendent’s plan was released in August 2019. That’s when the proverbial sh*t hit the fan. With previously scheduled public hearings, additional meetings to accommodate the well-orchestrated opposition, protests against redistricting, social media flame wars, and numerous public work sessions lasting late into the night— it’s all felt like a demoralizing circus.

Everyone’s painting themselves as champions for the children and their opponents as misguided and ill-informed at best (and sinister at worst). But what’s the real deal? Who’s really on the side of justice? As the vitriol raged on and sides became more entrenched, I wondered what light history could shed on a flawed process, which has turned neighbors against neighbors in a county known for embracing civility?

Not A Good Look

Might doesn’t make right — we can’t necessarily judge social movements by their size or popularity. Instead, I find it helpful to put modern actions in a historical context because…

“History doesn’t repeat itself but it often rhymes.” — Unknown

So, what have been some of the arguments of those opposing redistricting?

• Busing shouldn’t be forced.
• All kids should “be able to” attend their neighborhood schools.
• Commutes to school should be as short as possible.
• Families paid more to attend “better” schools, so they shouldn’t have to change.
• Kids in the same community shouldn’t be separated — they should all go to school together.

Hmm…sounds a little familiar, doesn’t it?

LEFT: Outside River Hill High School, Judah Landzberg of Clarksville, a Baltimore school teacher, holds up a sign criticizing “forced busing” in Howard County. (Scott Ewart) | RIGHT: The percentage of white students in Richmond city schools declined from 45 to 21 percent between 1960 and 1975. This so-called “white flight” prevented Richmond schools from becoming truly integrated. After a voter referendum to combine the suburban school districts of Chesterfield and Henrico counties with the city of Richmond’s failed, Federal District Judge Robert Mehrige ordered the merger by judicial action in the decision in Bradley v. School Board of the City of Richmond, to facilitate busing to achieve racial balance in the schools. Marches, rallies, and other forms of protest ensued. (Valentine Richmond History Center)

Many of the opposition couch their beliefs in wanting ALL kids to be able to get the best education where…they…are. So that’s proof that they aren’t prejudiced, right? Being joined on the picket line with their immigrant neighbors and a sprinkling of other ethnic minorities (who are equally well-to-do) is further evidence that they aren’t prejudiced (as if racial prejudice is the only kind that exists).

LEFT: A group of Glendale-Ridgewood (NY) parents protest in front of City Hall in June 1959 (Gotham Center) | RIGHT: Community members walk in opposition of the Howard County Public School System’s redistricting plan during a protest near The Mall of Columbia on Sept. 14. (Nicole Munchel for the Baltimore/Baltimore Sun Media Group)

Listen, it’s not for me to judge what motivates each person in the opposition — whether it’s convenience, wanting to hoard privilege, or actual fear or animus towards the race or socioeconomic status of “others”. The truth of the matter is that these achievement gaps are evidence that the status quo is broken — yes, even in one of the best public school systems in the nation.

A Lesson For Today

Take a moment to consider those on the “wrong side” of past struggles for social justice. They weren’t monsters — they were moms, dads, grandparents, neighbors, and kids. They wanted the best for the children in their community. Where they went astray, however, was in deciding who they considered “their” kids — who was a full-fledged member of “their” community, worthy of the rights afforded themselves.

If your protest sign today would be right at home in a segregationist protest, maybe that’s not a good look. Maybe you should examine your assumptions and motivations. Maybe fear of the unknown or “others” is causing you to miss out on their full humanity and value. And maybe — just maybe — you’re at risk of being on the wrong side of history.