Making Sense of Howard County Board of Education's Apology for a Racially Segregated School System

• In Event: Dissecting Policy Discourses That Contribute to Educational (In)Equalities

Abstract

In 2012, the Board of Education of Howard County, Maryland expressed “profound regret” for maintaining segregated schools both before and after Brown v. Board of Education. Through the analysis of stakeholder interviews and board meetings, we argue that the apology was utilized as a narrative device to define the role of the Board, delineate the injustice committed, establish (dis)continuity between past and present injustices, and work out who has been wronged. Stakeholders used de jure segregation as a lens to understand contemporary de facto segregation and reflected on its continuing harm to current members of the community. We conclude by discussing the potential of public apologies as forms of governance that mold responsible and responsive public officials.

Authors

• Rachel Garver, Montclair State University

• Benjamin Nienass, Montclair State University