Precarious Space: Majority Black Suburbs and Their Public Schools

Abstract

The fact that a third of all African Americans now live in suburbs might suggest how far we have come since the pre-Hrown days. But most African Americans live in predominantly Black suburbs, where property values are lower than in neighboring White suburbs, and where the public schools are funded by a lower tax base. After presenting a national picture, the authors draw on the experiences of Plainfield, New Jersey, and Prince George's County, Maryland, to describe how strained resources, a history of racialized conflicts resulting in troubled governance, and a perception of students as “inner city” all contribute to low student achievement in public schools in predominantly Black suburbs.