The Color of their Skin: Education and Race in Richmond Virginia 1954-89

by Robert A. Pratt

A major study of school desegregation in a Virginia locality, The Color of Their Skin traces the evolution of Richmond public schools from segregation to desegregation to resegregation over the decades following the Brown decision.

134 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1992

About the author

Robert A. Pratt has been a member of UGA's history faculty since 1987. He received his Bachelor's degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and his Master's and PhD from the University of Virginia. He has served formerly as Director of the Institute for African American Studies and Chair of the History Department. His articles and essays have appeared in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Rutgers Law Journal, The University of Richmond Law Review, Howard Law Review, The Georgia Historical Quarterly, and other journals and magazines. He is the recipient of several national fellowships and grants, including a Danforth Foundation Fellowship (1980-1984), a Spencer Foundation Grant (1990), and a Brown Foundation Fellowship (1995). In addition to his books, Pratt has also served as historical consultant for several documentaries.

Reviews

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took a lot longer to read than I anticipated. Not because it was bad by any means, but the material felt so dense that it felt a lot longer than it really was. I learned some new things, and had some of my previous thoughts validated. And though this was specifically about Richmond and quite "outdated" by now, I know I can adequately use it for my own research project. Sometimes it even felt comical how some of these things still applied today, so hopefully more people would be willing to open their ears and look for the patterns.

[Norm · Rating 5 out of 5]

For any privileged white person who has ever idly wondered why race relations in this country are so bad; for the young man who has been vaguely offended and concerned by affirmative action; for anyone who has never heard the long and painful story of school desegregation; this book is a must-read.

Dr. Pratt's book is a sweeping chronology of school desegregation from Brown v. Board of Education to 1989. His research focuses on the actions and reactions of whites and blacks in Virginia generally, and Richmond specifically. He relies on judicial opinions, newspaper editorials, personal interviews, and clear, simple statistics to describe the history and implications of school board and government policies. He makes the story very human, and though it is always clear which side is "in the right," he does not demonize the other. This book is captivating and very readable. I would recommend it to anyone who never lived through those times.

[Diana Garbera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Academic study of Education and race in Richmond 1954-1989. Fascinating!