ABSTRACT

In the aftermath of proposals for all-male African American academies in cities such as New York, Detroit and Milwaukee, among others, many voices immediately expressed grave reservations. The NAACP and the Urban League as well as feminist analysts were concerned that the proposals represented an abandonment of hope in a changing society (Ascher 1991:14). They also feared that there would be legal ramifications on both racial and gender lines, namely the potential violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX, both of which curtail the rights of public institutions to provide differential resource allocation on the basis of race or gender. Further, there was concern that the proposals could be used to reinforce the de facto segregation of African American children in general (and boys in particular) already resulting in injurious differential treatment of those students in school. This chapter will be an attempt to contextualize those concerns as salvos in ongoing battles over the ownership and leadership of various communities. A look at the Milwaukee public schools’ plan and programs in other parts of the country suggests that the disagreements that separate the sides on the issue of such academies have legal, educational, and social bases as well as consequences.