In this snapshot of integration at Charlotte's First Ward Elementary, among these chattering first-graders and the butterfly debate, diversity simply comes with the school day. That Made Desegregation Work is a city divided. The debate pits native against newcomer, parent against politician, suburbanite against school board member. The neighborhood schoolers are a diverse, passionate force. They newcomers, both Democrats and Republicans, rarely confronted with busing for integration in the suburbs of the North.
Drivers honk as they pass by.
Most of Mecklenburg County's neighborhoods are either largely white or minority. Even with integration, about 30 percent of Charlotte schools today could be considered racially imbalanced. Some parents say resegregation is a trade worth making to return to neighborhood schools. A majority of Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board members disagree. Educators and long-time Charlotteans are fighting to protect the community's commitment to integration.