Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education addressed desegregation remedies after Brown. What remedy did the Court approve?

• A. Redrawing school districts
• B. Busing to achieve racial balance
• C. Voluntary integration plans only
• D. Ending desegregation efforts

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that desegregation remedies may actively create integration, not just prohibit discrimination. In Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg, the Court upheld using court-ordered measures to achieve racially balanced schools, explicitly approving bus transportation of students across neighborhoods and even across district lines as a legitimate tool. This means a plan can require busing to mix students from different areas to overcome segregated patterns and move toward unitary status. The decision also noted other measures like redrawing attendance zones can be part of the remedy, but the central, practical tool the Court endorsed was busing to achieve racial balance. Voluntary plans alone weren’t deemed sufficient in some cases, and ending desegregation would undermine Brown’s mandate.