desegregation

American  

[dee-seg-ri-gey-shuhn, dee-seg-] / ˌdi sɛg rɪˈgeɪ ʃən, diˌsɛg- /

noun

1. the elimination of laws, customs, or practices under which people from different religions, ancestries, ethnic groups, etc., are restricted to specific or separate public facilities, neighborhoods, schools, organizations, or the like.

---

Other Word Forms

• antidesegregation adjective
• desegregationist noun

Etymology

Origin of desegregation

First recorded in 1950–55; de- + segregation

Example Sentences

The designation was rolled out as part of a 1976 desegregation program, which aimed at improving educational opportunities across the city’s schools.

From Salon

In 1960, he was arrested with seven other students after a silent demonstration in a whites-only public library, which led to the desegregation of the library.

From BBC

“This lawsuit is a misguided attempt to rewrite the history of school desegregation in the country,” Howard said.

From Los Angeles Times

Holmes ruling, which ordered the immediate desegregation of Southern schools.

From Salon

The last time the military was deployed without a governor’s request or approval, military experts said, was to facilitate court-ordered desegregation in Southern states during the civil rights movement in the 1960s.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• assimilation