Success or Failure?
Was the initial implementation of Phase II a success? Analysis of the events and operations associated with this chapter of Boston's busing history reveals the complexity of its related issues. Therefore, categorizing these events into a singular conclusion of sucess or failure creates inaccuracies and over-generalizations. Various aspects of Phase II indeed succeeded in the sense of building upon the first phase and maintaining implementation for as long as was intended. The buses increased their efficiency in arrivals, schools were now incorporating a wider range of programming to motivate students to attend and build partnerships with local universities, and most schools were by the numbers closer to Garrity’s ideal of racial balance.
However, the racial conflict only continued and a division between neighborhoods, families, races, and other demographics deepened. Violence and other rebellious incidents appeared to have diminished in comparison to the uprisings of the early stages of Phase I, but this was mostly due to filtered media reporting and a drastically increased presence of law enforcement. Through a technical lens, Phase II appeared to have been a relative success, meeting most of the outlined operational goals laid out in the paperwork of this greater plan. On a deeper level, its failures are found in the social resistance that continued and the disconnect of communication among the students, schools, reporters, police, and the public.
