“A Family to Come Back To”: The Life and Legacy of the Lincoln School, an Experimental Residential Integrated School During Desegregation, 1967-1970

• In Event: Intersecting Struggles of Desegregation: Navajo Schooling, Black Teacher Activism, and Critical Inquiry

Abstract

This paper details the historical case of the Lincoln School, a public experimental school in the mid-South, explicitly designed with attention to shared power among racial groups, focused on high expectations and an innovative curriculum in an integrated setting. We examine the school’s impact on the civic development of educators and students to give policymakers and educators today information to support the creation of more equitable school systems. Data sources include extensive oral history interviews from over 20 members of the school community, as well as archival documents from local, state, and national archives.

Authors

• Nafees M. Khan, Ralph Appelbaum Associates

• Alyssa Hadley Dunn, University of Connecticut