AnAfricanAmericanDilemmaoffersthefirstsocialhistoryofnorthernBlackdebatesoverschoolintegrationversusseparationfromthe1840stothepresent.SinceBrownv.BoardofEducationin1954AmericanshaveviewedschoolintegrationasacentraltenetoftheBlackcivilrightsmovement.Yet,schoolintegrationwasnottheonly--orevenalwaysthedominant--civilrightsstrategy.Attimes,AfricanAmericansalsofoughtforseparate,Blackcontrolledschoolsdedicatedtoracialupliftandcommunityempowerment.AnAfricanAmericanDilemmaoffersasocialhistoryofthesedebateswithinnorthernBlackcommunitiesfromthe1840stothepresent.DrawingonsourcesincludingtheBlackpress,schoolboardrecords,socialsciencestudies,thepapersofcivilrightsactivists,andcourtcases,itrevealsthatnorthernBlackcommunities,urbanandsuburban,vacillatedbetweenapreferenceforeitherschoolintegrationorseparationduringspecificeras.Yet,therewasneveraconsensus.Italsohighlightsthechorusofdissent,debate,andcounter-narrativesthatpushedfamiliestoconsiderafullerrangeofeducationalreforms.AsweepinghistoricalanalysisthatcoverstheentirehistoryofpubliceducationintheNorth,thisworkcomplicatesourunderstandingofschoolintegrationbyhighlightingthediverseperspectivesofBlackstudents,parents,teachers,andcommunityleadersallcommittedtoimprovingpubliceducation.ItfindsthatBlackschoolintegrationistsandseparatistshaveworkedtogetherinadynamictensionthatfueledeffectivestrategiesforeducationalreformandtheBlackcivilrightsmovement,adiscussionthatcontinuestobehighlychargedinpresent-dayschoolingchoices.
