Schools of Many Colors

Equal opportunity is a core national value, and Americans strongly believe that it should not be hindered by race, gender, ethnicity, or other aspects of who we are. However, while inequalities persist across a range of issues, the public is increasingly skeptical of the existence of racial discrimination in particular. We need new and better ways to talk about equal opportunity and diversity, and the barriers that hamper them. As an important gateway to opportunity, educational equality must be central to our new story.

Barriers to equality and diversity in our education system continue to mount, and experts tell us that racial segregation and isolation cannot be overcome without making integration an explicit goal in educational policymaking. In 2007, the Supreme Court took up this issue, hearing two cases regarding the ability of school districts to employ voluntary integration programs. The Court handed down a complex and mixed decision that educational policymakers could have interpreted in many ways. It was therefore imperative for advocates to react with a coherent story that protected equal opportunity and diversity.

To prepare for the media blitz surrounding the Supreme Court cases, The Opportunity Agenda worked with partners to anticipate possible decisions and develop talking points based on an analysis of public opinion research and media coverage. When the Court handed down its decision, we issued new talking points in 90 minutes, briefed education and civil rights leaders, and helped place those leaders in dozens of news stories around the nation. The spokespeople with whom we worked appeared in many subsequent stories, using our tools and carrying a shared message. An analysis of media coverage surrounding the cases revealed that these spokespeople maintained a consistent, effective, and influential message.

Our work with key educational and civil rights organizations in this initiative helped develop an optimistic and powerful message around promoting diversity. We believe our work has helped to convince school districts to maintain their integration and educational opportunity policies in the wake of the court’s decision. Fueled by the attention the decision received, we continue to work with partners to promote lawful and effective local policies that offer equal access to quality education for all.