Perhaps the most spectacular reaction to court-ordered busing in the 1970s occurred in Boston, where there was
intense and protracted protest. Ron Formisano explores the sources of white opposition to school desegregation.
Racism was a key factor, Formisano argues, but racial prejudice alone cannot explain the movement. Class resentment,
ethnic rivalries, and the defense of neighborhood turf all played powerful roles in the protest.
In a new epilogue, Formisano brings the story up to the present day, describing the end of desegregation orders
in Boston and other cities. He also examines the nationwide trend toward the resegregation of schools, which he
explains is the result of Supreme Court decisions, attacks on affirmative action, white flight, and other factors.
He closes with a brief look at the few school districts that have attempted to base school assignment policies
on class or economic status. Formisano's analysis of race relations in Boston is extended into the present day
in this revised edition.