Heard it Through the Grapevine: METCO Correspondence and Maintaining a United Front During Boston's Desegregation

Letter from Jean McGuire to Senator William Owens

The Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity (METCO), was founded in 1966 after the passing of the Racial Imbalance Law of 1965, and was the first voluntary school desegregation program in the country. By implementing the program, METCO hoped to be the apparatus that would ensure Boston Public Schools were integrated, in accordance with the law, and that students enrolled in the program would be able to safely transition to their new schools and be able to have a quality education. The battle however, was far from over following the passage of the Racial Imbalance Law, and it was found that a majority of Boston Public Schools were unlawfully segregated, even leading to a boycott of black parents of the schools in order to try and illicit changes that by definition of the law, should have already been in place.

This dissatisfaction and frustration would come to a violent head, when Judge W. Arthur Garrity Jr. of the United States District Court of the District of Massachusetts, determined that there was indeed unlawful segregation in Boston Public School and demanded the implementation of a desegregation plan. By 1974, Judge Garrity made the decision to implement a Busing Plan developed by the Massachusetts State Board of Education, and would oversee its implementation for the next 13 years.

With this decision, METCO had a major role to play in not only seeing that the busing plan was seen through for the many students enrolled in METCO, but ensuring that METCO would continue to receive the finances it needed to keep the program lucrative for its many students that depended on the program to obtain a quality education. In this letter from July 1975, Jean McGuire, the Executive Director of METCO, writes to Senator William Owens of the Massachusetts State Senate, outlining the importance of METCO's continued focus on the issues and challenges presented by the busing program, and outlining the financial burden faced as a result of attacks on the integrity of the program. This is one of many, many letters of correspondence between Jean McGuire, and others involved in the commuity circuits and organizations that were combating racism and desegregation in the busing period in Boston, and the correspondance shows that METCO had a key role in not only financing their program and ensuring that children of color were given the opportunity of education, but also in maintaining a network with other community organizations in the Greater Boston Area that were willing to see it through.

While the items in the gallery below are random pieces of correspondence from the METCO records housed at Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections, they present a small part of a pattern that best represents the efforts of METCO to maintain relationships with organizations involved in making the desegregation process in Boston fruitful and lasting for the students involved. They are in no order, but show various letters that METCO administrators were receiving in order to monitor community events and assemblies on behalf of parents in communities where busing was occuring, but also the role of the administrators, like Jean McGuire in ensuring that METCO's image throughout the process was not attacked unjustly, therefore damaging their efforts.

What these documents show, and there are hundreds more, is that while Jean McGuire, as Executive Director, was on one hand making sure that publications and media did not damage the program in any way with false reporting, and taking care of communication with various state apparatuses that had a hand in funding for METCO, she was also reaching out to organizations like Freedom House, who had a long standing in the black Boston community and were helping with desegregation efforts. It shows that while METCO had to maintain elements of professionality and compliance with state regulations and laws, it by no means limited its employees and administrators from speaking out against racism in the school system and being able to have a voice to help illicit necessary change for the betterment of their students.

Other letters show that METCO was greatly involved and invested in helping parent councils and others who were concerned for the safety of black children being bused, and were writing letters on thier behalf, demanding that the law be upheld and implemented in a way that was safe for all of the students involved. They show the problematic and stressing environment created for the black Boston community by the backlash against what media was calling "forced busing" and how METCO and others within the community worked together to combat this damaging language. Even after the first year of busing, METCO dealt with challenges of maintaining a united front to ensure that desegregation in Boston Public Schools would continue to thrive and flourish, and that METCO as an organization would be there to see it through.

Correspondance between the Lena Park Community Development Corporation and the Massachusetts Black Caucus, presenting a letter of petition to Governor Frances W. Sargent demanding that the law be upheld during the process of school desegregation in Boston. The petition is dated September 30, 1974, and outlines how the Black community in Boston can help to make sure the law is followed, and their children are moved through the process of desegregation in the easiest way possible. The petition is signed by several key figures in the Boston black community.

This is a letter from Ms. Elma Lewis sent to Superintendent Dr. William Leary to alert him for an "Assembly of Justice" to be held by the Black Community Caucus for Quality Education. The letter lists demands to be discussed on behalf of the parents of black students, and these demands are aimed to demand quality integrated education. It discusses the need for protection for black students from being harassed, and therefore having their education affected, during the process of integration. It is signed by many dignitaries and supporters of the Black community in the Greater Boston Area as a sign of goodwill and a call to action.

The Black Community Caucus of Boston sent this memorandum to organizations in the Greater Boston Area that were involved in the process of school desegregation to announce an Assembly of Justice. The document outlines the proposal that the Assembly will present, as well as its primary concerns and requests for making the process of desegregation safe for black children. The Assembly of Justice called for the rights of black students to attend the schools that they were being sent to without having to deal with abject racism and violence on the part of whites in the area.

This is a copy of a letter that was sent by Phillip Snowden of Freedom House INC. to Thomas Atkins, President of the Boston Branch of the NAACP. It is clear from this, as well as various other copies of letters in the METCO correspondence files that METCO was closely monitoring all communications relating to Boston desegregation in 1974. This letter is notifying Thomas Atkins of the violence faced by black students who were being bused, and implores him to take the concerns raised by the Black Community Caucus at the Assembly for Justice before Judge Garrity, so that law and order will be upheld.

This is a copy of a letter sent from Roger Tyler of the Columbia Point Concerned Citizens to the Commissioner of the Boston Police Department, Robert DiGrazia. The letter lists the grievances of Columbia Point residents about unequal enforcement of the law. It outlines some of the violence faced by students from the area that are being bused as a part of the desegregation process in Boston Public Schools, and asks that the police follow the specific set of demands for safety presented by the concerned citizens of Columbia Point. It also states that the parents of these children are worried about strain that will lead to an overreaction by police.

This is a letter sent by Hebert E. Tucker Jr. asking for the continued financial support for Freedom House from all of their contributors. The letter also outlines their continued efforts foster community betterment and thanks contributors for their support in helping Freedom House thrive.

Letter notifying contributors of the 25th Anniversary Celebration and thanking them for all of their help over the first 25 years of Freedom House operations.

This is a news bulletin from Freedom House that was regularly distributed among all members and organizations involved with Freedom House. This particular bulletin outlines how members and people in the community that Freedom House largely serves can use the education system in the Greater Boston Area, and the resources at Freedom House to ensure that their children are receiving a quality education.

Memorandum sent out to Coordinated Social Service Council Members, alerting them to a Freedom House meeting on May 15, 1975 to talk about reactions to Judge W. Arthur Garrity's decision on Phase II of the plan for Boston desegregation issued on May 10, 1975.

This memo was sent to Jean McGuire, the Executive Director of METCO, letting her know that Freedom House has decided to hold a final wind-up meeting about the process of Boston's desegregation before the start of the school year on September 12, 1974.

In a letter sent to METCO directors from Otto and Muriel Snowden, the Snowdens thank METCO for their support. It seems that the Snowdens were going through a difficult time at the height of Boston desegregation, and we can assume from this letter that is addressed to "ALL of our wonderful friends and relatives," that they included METCO directors among their most trusted confidantes.

In this invitation and letter to Jean McGuire from Otto and Muriel Snowden at Freedom House, Jean McGuire is invited to attend a Dutch Treat Luncheon on May 15, 1974. The luncheon was being held to discuss a new Institute on Schools and Education that Freedom House took on in order to add an education element to the work they do for the Boston Community. Representatives at Freedom House discuss the importance of the acquisition of this institute as being part and parcel with the continued work of Freedom House in aiding the community toward a proper and integrated education system.

Otto and Muriel Snowden, along with Freedom House and other leading members in the black community in Boston got together and sent this critique of the School Committee's Desegregation Plan to Judge W. Arthur Garrity. The Plan was issued on December 16, 1974, and this critique aims to address issues that the people contributing feel were left out of the plan, and discusses racial imbalances that they hope will be addressed in the implementation of the plan.

Jean McGuire wrote this letter to Dr. Robert Spencer, the Superintendent of Brookline Schools, in response to a letter he wrote to a Dr. Glenn (unknown). In it, she describes inaccuracies in his statements about METCO and its budget and distribution, and also restates the purpose of the program. McGuire also points out that in his statement at a recent meeting, Dr. Spencer did not address the issue of a racially imbalanced employment in the school system.

Letter to Judge W. Arthur Garrity from Jean McGuire on behalf of parents, faculty and students of William Lloyd Garrison School of Roxbury. The letter requests his support in maintaining a successful and quality integrated school program in 1 of the elementary schools in the area that had been struggling.

Jean McGuire wrote to the President of the Boston Globe in response to a series of articles published by the Globe about METCO and its administration. The letter is imploring him and his staff to meet with METCO representatives to prevent the Globe from reporting damaging and possibly false information about METCO. This letter specifically references reporting by the Boston Globe on METCO finances and budgeting.

Jean McGuire wrote to Dr. Ansig stating that METCO information on budgeting and strategy will be made available to the Board of Education. She stresses that in order to maintain a working relationship for the betterment of education, as well as maintaining a successfully integrated school system, it would benefit both parties to know how the other is implementing this system.

This letter is applauding Marion Fahey and the Boston School Committee for hiring Muriel K. Harris as the new community Superintendent of District 9. Harris, as noted by Jean McGuire, held a doctorate in administration from Harvard University and was not only more than capable of the job, but was also a capable black woman. The importance of this is that Jean McGuire hopes that the hiring of Muriel K. Harris would help to bridge the gap in black representation and employment in the upper echelons of school administration.

This notice was sent to METCO staff, notifying them of public hearings taking place on the new Racial Imbalance Legislation that was being discussed in 1974. It is asking them to take action and to oppose any bills that would repeal or modify the Racial Imbalance Law of 1965, as METCO administrators worried that this would negatively impact the program. The notice outlines how those who wish to support METCO can take action and gives them information on who to contact to do so.

This is a notice sent to parents whose children were enrolled in METCO, informing them of the public hearings on possible changes to the Racial Imbalance Law of 1965, that took place on April 4, 1974. It is asking parents to continue the fight for racial equality in schools by calling state officials and writing letters, and outlines how they can do so.

This letter was sent to Bishop John M. Burgess from Arnold C. Vanderhoop, President of METCO Board of Directors, thanking him for his support of the Racial Imbalance law and stressing the importance of the continued involvement of his congregation in aiding the community. It talks about his activism and sermons in the 1960's and their impact on Civil Rights in Boston in the past.

This letter from Jean McGuire to Cardinal Medieros is thanking him for the Archdiocese of Boston's support of the Racial Imbalance Law over the year, and expresses hope that the support will be continued.