desegregation
dee-seg-ruh-GAY-shun
/ˌdiː.seɡ.rɪˈɡeɪ.ʃən/
The elimination of laws or practices that separate people by race, ethnicity, or group in public facilities and institutions.
Refers to legal and operational removal of barrier policies; differs slightly from deep social integration.
The story behind the word. Formed by adding the prefix 'de-' (reversal) to 'segregate'. It gained legal prominence in 20th-century American jurisprudence following landmark federal rulings.
Word relationships
- integration: Desegregation focuses on dismantling barriers, while integration implies achieving full, unified harmonious participation.
- segregation: Segregation is the policy or practice of separating people into distinct racial or social groups.
Commonly confused with
- integration: Desegregation is removing legal separation; integration is bringing people together into social cohesion.
Word family
- desegregate (verb): To end policy enforcement of racial separation.
Collocations
- school desegregation
- desegregation order
- push for desegregation
- desegregation policy
Example sentences
- "Court-ordered school desegregation led to mandatory busing programs during the 1970s to balance student demographics." Civil rights legal history
- "The desegregation of military units during the late 1940s marked a major institutional step toward civil rights." Public policy analysis
Memory hook
DE- (undo) + SEGREGATION (flock separation) = undoing the separation of the flock. Undoing racial separation.
When not to use
Do not confuse with voluntary social mixing; desegregation emphasizes the formal undoing of systemic barriers.
Fun facts
- In 1948, President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order 9981, ordering the desegregation of the United States Armed Forces.
Related words
Explore more words
segregation, segregate, redlining, emancipation, reintegration, disparate
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