I think Mr.Dellinger doesn't understand the issue in Seattle when he chides Chief Justice Roberts for comparing historic racism in the South to the SSD's policies. Of course, they are radically different. And no white person in Seattle would ever say that their experiences over the past 3-4 decades could ever equate to those of an African American in the Southeast or anywhere for that matter. I think we all accept that level of racism is something we will never quite comprehend.

So, there is more to the story.

First, according the the U.S. Census Bureau, Seattle is approximately 70% white, 15% asian, 10% black, and 5% other. If that population were distributed equally throughout the city, and every parent sent their child to a public school, the schools would reflect that racial make-up. The problem arose when the district implemented the program to bus children to all corners of the city under a voluntary desegregation plan. There were no court orders. Even without a strong history of segregation the city was taking it upon itself to solve the problem. Because middle class and upper class whites thought this was a waste of time and money, they sent their kids to private schools or moved to the suburbs. The district racial pool eventually became 60% non-white and 40% white. But the city as a whole looked very different.

The 60/40 breakdown gave way to the tiebreaker that was at the center of the suit. If a child selected a public high school where the make-up deviated from this ratio by 10-15 points (it changed over the years) the child's race was used to determine the assignment. Yet still today the city is 70% white. And the whitest public high schools in the district more closely mirror the city as a whole then any other schools. (This is because there are dozens of private schools that are 95%+ white.)

Second, there are still inequalities in Seattle and there probably always will be. But the city is liberal in a very politically correct way, and this stifles change. The SSD for years told parents in Seattle that they had no options. If a parent complained about an assignment, the school district's reply was "too bad." Routine failings fell on deaf ears, and gradually support eroded for the controversial (and yes, it was always controversial) integration policy. These were not easy times. Childhoods were at stake. Spending 3-4 hours on a bus everyday was too much. Not making friends was too much. Not being able to participate in extracurricular activities was too much. Ask a wealthy parent in any suburb or city in America if they would sacrifice these things in the name of "diversity." I'm guessing most would not. And again Seattle is a liberal, open-minded city. At one time, all three major political posts were held by African American men. (Ron Sims-County Exec., Norm Rice-Mayor, John Stanford-School District Superintendent) Seattle has also been the driving for behind the recent elections of a female governor, and two female Senators. We pride ourselves on looking at character, and not at skin color, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. That is the history most of us know.

Third, is a story that I think illustrates the real problem. Last fall, I attended a birthday party in Harlem for a friend of a friend. The birthday girl who I'll call Betty, grew up in Seattle like me, and she attended Franklin High School, a school that has been largely non-white (and getting more so) for the last 20-30 years. Betty is white, lives in a predominately black neighborhood, and works in NYC Public Schools. And every guest I saw at her birthday party was white. Like Betty, I live in a predominately black neighborhood in Brooklyn, and I attended a Seattle elementary school that was 80% black. And I do not have one close black, or even non-white, friend.

So I don't know. This issue is not that simple, and we do what we can. For now, I think it is good that we are discussing the issue. And even if the SSD refuses to accept defeat, we will keep trying to bridge the gap in even small ways.