In this paper, I will be discussing the social and political implications of desegregation and the busing crisis in the City of Boston. More specifically, I will be analyzing the ways in which the children’s novel, Busing Brewster by Richard Michelson, addresses the enforcement of Judge Wendell Garrity’s busing order, the impacts of this monumental decision on the lives of young Bostonians and their families, as well as the federal government’s involvement in the flawed educational system that led to busing. Busing Brewster does well in narrating realistic experiences of students and their families undergoing the gradual process of desegregation, but more context is needed when detailing the violence that Black students were subjected to. The novel Busing Brewster is the story of Brewster, a young…show more content… The inclusion of these events helps to clearly illustrate the social divide that was present during desegregation. The article, Why Busing Failed mentions, “For many black students, “busing” and desegregation meant leaving their communities to travel to schools where white students and parents were openly hostile and where white teachers and administrators blamed them for whatever violence or disruptions accompanied desegregation in the schools (Delmont).” To further explain, Black students were frequently subjected to prejudice and racist treatment from members of staff, white parents and their fellow classmates. Black students were treated as collateral in a situation where their only crime was the pursuit of an education. Physical altercations grew to such extreme numbers that police officers were required to accompany students to their new schools, as the busing order was enforced. From the perspective of an educator, Busing Brewster discusses the topic of racial tension and increased violence in a way that is educational and
