Stark contrasts between neighboring high schools in Concordia Parish reveal persistent racial and economic divides, decades after court-ordered desegregation began. Ferriday High, 90% Black, is visibly under-resourced compared to the predominantly white Vidalia High, despite both being in the same district still under a federal desegregation order from the 1960s.
The U.S. Justice Department has begun dismantling such long-standing desegregation mandates, recently lifting one in Plaquemines Parish and signaling others may follow. This move aligns with Republican state leaders who argue the orders are outdated and burdensome.
However, civil rights advocates warn that inequality remains entrenched. In Concordia, the desegregation order was recently used to force a charter school to diversify after favoring white students. Disparities also persist in facilities, discipline rates, and academic resources.
Efforts to merge majority-white and majority-Black schools were previously rejected amid community resistance. Some residents and officials believe it’s time to move on, while others fear that without federal oversight, struggling schools like Ferriday High will continue to suffer.
The district now faces a court hearing to determine whether its desegregation order should be lifted, as concerns grow over the erosion of tools once vital in combating systemic segregation in U.S. schools.
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