Description: Most Americans still see Brown as a triumph--but was it? Patterson shrewdly explores the provocative questions that still swirl around the case. Could the Court--or President Eisenhower--have done more to ensure compliance with Brown? Did the decision touch off the modern civil rights movement? How useful are court-ordered busing and affirmative action against racial segregation? To what extent has racial mixing affected the academic achievement of black children? Where indeed do we go from here to realize the expectations of Marshall, Ellison, and others in 1954?
Review Quotes: "Patterson's new book is a compelling examination of the history behind the decision and the realities of enforcing it."--Robin Dougherty, The Boston Globe
"Absorbing book. With admirable balance, Patterson synthesizes much of the debate. His streamlined rendition reminds us that justices have always considered the social, political, and legal consequences of their decisions."--Laura Kalman, The New York Times Book Review"Penetrating history-cum-analysis."--Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post Book World"This volume by a widely recognized historian of twentieth-century America presents a highly readable and well-organized overview of events leading up to the 1954 Brown decision, the decision itself, and its aftermath...Patterson does a nice job of sketching the broad outlines and placing developments in a larger context"--The Journal of Southern History