Conclusion

Abstract

The above quotation is part of a statement from social scientists submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court in the Sweatt v. Painter (1950) school desegregation case, a case that has had broad implications for the practice, study, and theory of intergroup relations since the mid-1950s. Because so many of the chapters in this book are intertwined with both the political and empirical aspects of desegregation, a closer look at its history seems in order.

Under certain circumstances desegregation not only proceeds without major difficulties, but has been observed to lead to the emergence of more favorable attitudes and friendlier relations between races.... Much depends, however, on the circumstances under which members of previously segregated groups first come in contact with others in unsegregated situations. Available evidence suggests... the importance of consistent and firm enforcement of the new policy by those in authority. It indicates also the importance of such factors as: the absence of competition for a limited number of facilities or benefits: the possibility of contacts which permit individuals to learn about one another as individuals; the possibility of equivalence of positions and functions among all the participants within the segregated situation. Minnesota Law Review, 1953, pp. 437–438