Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
A searing and deeply researched examination of racial inequity in schools from award-winning journalist Laura Meckler, told in the spirit of Dale Russakoff's The Prize and Nick Reding's Methland, through the lens of both the history and the present day of the Shaker Heights, Ohio, school system.
The Shaker Heights community has earned a national reputation as a pioneer in racial integration and a model for how white and Black Americans can not just coexist but thrive together. The way the story went, Black and white families had figured out how to share the elite community with excellent schools in Shaker Heights, a place most anyone would be proud to call home. But Meckler--herself a product of the town's school system--reveals where the truth of this story ends, and the myth begins.
Shaker Heights was founded as an upper-crust refuge from the neighboring city of Cleveland, with racist housing covenants and exclusive country clubs. Meckler chronicles the history of this place--from its 1912 founding as one of America's prototypical Garden Suburbs, created as an escape from the city, into an elite, parklike community; through the 1950s, when the first Black families arrived; to the 1970s, when school integration began; and into the 1990s and 2000s, when the community first confronted racial academic achievement gaps. Dream Town ends in the present, as school leaders strive for racial equity and confront underlying tensions that have been ignored for decades.
While telling the stories of the Shakerites who built and live in this community, Meckler probes questions that lie at the center of America's long and painful history of race relations: Can a community of well-intentioned people fulfill the promise of racial integration in America? What does success look like, and has Shaker achieved it? What are Black Americans asked to sacrifice, and what will white people have to give up?
Synopsis
Nearly every community in America has confronted questions of race, integration, and equity. Few have made a name for themselves like Shaker Heights, Ohio.
In this searing and deeply researched examination of the promises and realities of racial integration, award-winning Washington Post journalist Laura Meckler aims to uncover where the problem lies and to shed light on what's being done to move forward--in housing, in education, and in the promise of shared community.
In the late 1950s, Shaker Heights became a national model for housing integration. And beginning in the seventies, it was known as a crown jewel in the national move to racially integrate schools. The school district built a national reputation for academic excellence and diversity, serving as a model for how white and Black Americans can not just coexist but thrive together. Meckler--herself a product of Shaker Heights--takes a deeper look into the place that shaped her, investigating its complicated history and its ongoing challenges in order to untangle the myth from the truth. She confronts an enduring, and troubling, question--if Shaker Heights has worked so hard at racial equity, why does a racial academic achievement gap persist?
In telling the stories of the Shakerites who built and live in this community, Meckler asks: Can a group of well-intentioned people fulfill the promise of racial integration in America? What does success look like and has Shaker achieved it? What are Black Americans asked to sacrifice and what will white people have to give up? The result is a complex portrait of a place that, while never perfect, has achieved more than most, and a road map for communities that seek to do the same.
Synopsis
Thousands of cities and towns across America have wrestled with questions of race, integration, and equity. Few have made a name for themselves like Shaker Heights, Ohio.
In this searing and intimate examination of the ideals and realities of racial integration, award-winning Washington Post journalist Laura Meckler tells the story of a decades-long pursuit and uncovers the roadblocks that have threatened progress time and again--in housing, in education, and in the promise of shared community.
In the late 1950s, Shaker Heights became a national model for housing integration. And beginning in the seventies, it was known as a crown jewel in the national move to racially integrate schools. The school district built a reputation for academic excellence and diversity, serving as a model for how white and Black Americans can thrive together. Meckler--herself a product of Shaker Heights--takes a deeper look into the place that shaped her, investigating its complicated history and its ongoing challenges in order to untangle myth from truth. She confronts an enduring, and troubling, question--if Shaker Heights has worked so hard at racial equity, why does a racial academic achievement gap persist?
In telling the stories of the Shakerites who have built and lived in this community, Meckler asks: Can a group of well-intentioned people fulfill the promise of racial integration in America? What compromises are people of both races willing to make? What does success look like, and has Shaker achieved it? The result is a complex and masterfully reported portrait of a place that, while never perfect, has achieved more than most and a road map for communities that seek to do the same.
Includes black-and-white images.
Synopsis
Can a group of well-intentioned people fulfill the promise of racial integration in America?
In this searing and intimate examination of the ideals and realities of racial integration, award-winning Washington Post journalist Laura Meckler tells the story of a decades-long pursuit in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and uncovers the roadblocks that have threatened progress time and again--in housing, in education, and in the promise of shared community.
In the late 1950s, Shaker Heights began groundbreaking work that would make it a national model for housing integration. And beginning in the seventies, it was known as a crown jewel in the national move to racially integrate schools. The school district built a reputation for academic excellence and diversity, serving as a model for how white and Black Americans can thrive together. Meckler--herself a product of Shaker Heights--takes a deeper look into the place that shaped her, investigating its complicated history and its ongoing challenges in order to untangle myth from truth. She confronts an enduring, and troubling, question--if Shaker Heights has worked so hard at racial equity, why does a racial academic achievement gap persist?
In telling the stories of the Shakerites who have built and lived in this community, Meckler asks: What will it take to fulfill the promise of racial integration in America? What compromises are people of all races willing to make? What does success look like, and has Shaker achieved it? The result is a complex and masterfully reported portrait of a place that, while never perfect, has achieved more than most and a road map for communities that seek to do the same.
Includes black-and-white images.