When segregation in schools was declared unconstitutional in 1954, it was a landmark decision.

In Los Angeles, the neighborhood you lived in determined which school you went to. My elementary school was integrated, but by the time I got to high school I was aware that there were Black schools and White schools. Bussing didn't start until I was out of school.

When bussing started, schools found a new way to discriminate. It is called "racial tracking." Black and White kids can now go to school together, but they don't go to the same classes together. There is the fast track and the slow track, and the slow track seems to be where all the Black kids end up.

Tracking was designed for kids who excelled and wanted more challenging classes to prepare them for college. But if you find a school district using this program, take a closer look. For the most part, you will find that the slower classes will be filled with minority kids, and the advanced classes are seemingly reserved for the White kids. Kids are even tested to determine the level they should be at, but sometimes the test scores are ignored. The federal government has declared that racial tracking is against the law.