Working for the Segregationist Establishment

Abstract

While teaching race relations at Florida State University, the author was asked by Florida Attorney General Richard Ervin to direct a sociological study for a brief to be submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court in response to its ruling on Brown versus the Board of Education. The author confronted political realities influencing the research design and use of the findings. He also heard criticism of the brief and his role in it from liberals and segregationists alike. The author was further disillusioned by the response to the court's decision that desegregation should occur “with all deliberate speed,” especially when Ervin compromised his position to win re-election, and when a follow-up study was conducted in the same way as the initial one. In reflecting on his experience, the author expresses concern that, despite his principles and intentions, his efforts may have actually delayed desegregation.