Where the 2020 Democrats Stand on Busing
Many of the presidential hopefuls agree that school segregation is a significant problem, but not all of them want the federal government to step in.
In the two weeks since Senator Kamala Harris of California delivered a pointed attack on former Vice President Joe Biden over his past criticism of federally mandated school busing, it’s become clear that the two Democratic candidates don’t differ all that much in their views: They both support voluntary busing, but seem hesitant to endorse it as a federal mandate.
But there are at least 10 2020 Democratic candidates who do support federally mandated busing as a means of desegregating America’s schools. “If localities are not taking action to desegregate schools, Elizabeth believes the federal government has a constitutional obligation to step in to deliver on the promise of Brown v. Board, including, if necessary, busing,” a spokesperson for Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts told The Atlantic. A spokesperson for Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, Sabrina Singh, echoed the sentiment. “At a time of increasing segregation of schools, we should consider every tool at our disposal—including busing—to support desegregation and ensure equal opportunity for all kids,” she said.
Nearly 50 years after the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of busing—and 65 years after the court ordered schools desegregated—the debate over the practice, and the use of federal muscle to hasten desegregation of public schools more broadly, has again grabbed national attention. With school segregation worsening over the past several decades, presidential candidates CONTINUE READING: Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, and the Debate Over Busing - The Atlantic