Julian Wright Discusses Charlotte’s School Diversity on WUNC

Julian H. Wright Jr. joined WUNC’s The State of Things to discuss the history of segregation in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. As the former chair of CMS’ Equity Committee, Wright explained a key court case from 1999 in which Judge Robert Potter reversed the historic Swann v. CMS decision.

“He said you cannot use race as a reason for assigning kids to particular schools, and you can’t use busing for race as a method to create diverse schools. And since that time, Charlotte has been dealing with the aftermath of that decision,” Wright said.

Charlotte’s public schools are now considered to be among the most segregated by race and income in North Carolina. Wright also spoke about his experience on the committee and its attempt to ensure resources were distributed equitably between schools.

Listen to Julian’s conversation with host Frank Stasio and journalist Adam Rhew by visiting WUNC.