Busing: Realities & Evasions

By the California primary last June, the major Democratic contenders had settled uncomfortably into what has become the new litany on school integration and busing. McGovern and Humphrey both declared against “massive” busing but for “reasonable” transportation. They supported busing to meet “the requirements of the Constitution” but were opposed to it “solely for the purpose of achieving racial balance.” Citizens should obey court orders, but they doubted the validity of some court decisions, notably one by a federal district court requiring school integration on a metropolitan basis in Richmond, Virginia. And they opposed busing children to schools where they would receive “an infer...