On October 22, 1963, seven of Arydell Spinks' 12 children stayed home from school. They were not sick, and they were not skipping school for the fun of it. Instead, they were protesting segregation in Chicago's public schools.

Segregation was the practice of keeping white and black Americans apart. Public schools were legally segregated for decades. Black students had to go to all-black schools, and white students attended all-white schools. Then, in 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation was against the law. 

In many places, though, segregation continued. In Chicago, black and white students were still separated almost 10 years later.

That was why the seven Spinks children were taking part in “Freedom Day.” Freedom Day was a boycott protesting school segregation in Chicago. Along with the Spinks, more than 200,000 children and tens of thousands of adults took part.

Black Schools Were In Bad Condition

Image 2. Four pupils attend class at Englewood High School in Chicago, Illinois, on October 22, 1963. Normally the classroom had 38 students. The others were taking part in a one-day boycott of schools to protest increasing school segregation in Chicago. Photo by AP [Click to enlarge]

At the time, most white students lived in school districts with other white students, and black students lived in districts with mostly black students. The schools in black neighborhoods were in much worse condition than those in white neighborhoods. There was so little space that basements, cafeterias and

even hallways were used as classrooms. There were too many students, so kids split up into groups and took turns. Each group could only go to school for a few hours a day. By 1960, up to 33,000 black students only went to school for four hours a day. 

Part of the problem was that banks often refused to give loans to buy homes in black neighborhoods. This may have made those neighborhoods poorer and more segregated. At the same time, black neighborhoods were growing. Thousands of African-Americans moved from the South to Chicago and other cities in the North and West. This population movement is called the Great Migration. Between 1915 and 1950, more than 500,000 black people arrived in Chicago. Meanwhile, the opposite was taking place in white neighborhoods, as white Chicagoans started leaving the city for the suburbs.

Because of these shifts, African-Americans were forced to live in crowded, neighborhoods with run-down schools. White neighborhoods had well-kept, orderly schools. 

There was an obvious solution: Use buses to bring black students to majority-white schools to integrate them. Chicago's political leaders

did not do so, however.

Community Members Plan A ProtestBenjamin Willis was in charge of Chicago's public schools at the time. He refused to provide buses to break down school segregation. He even refused to let students from schools in black neighborhoods transfer to white schools. 

Instead, he built a few new schools in black districts to address the overcrowding problem. Then, in 1961, he started moving black students into mobile classrooms made out of metal. People started calling them “Willis Wagons." They were seen by the African-American community as just another way to keep black students in bad schools.

Finally, in 1963, anger boiled over. Community members began planning the Freedom Day protest. As they prepared, they got encouragement from Martin Luther King, Jr. King was a leader in the effort for equal rights for African-Americans.

In the end, Freedom Day was a success. About half of the entire school district, or 225,000 students, stayed home from school. The protests made people all over Chicago aware of the school conditions. However, the system

remained unequal.

Chicago Schools Are Still SegregatedThe situation became worse each year. More protests and boycotts were held. Real improvements did not happen until more than 20 years later. Even now, Chicago's schools are mostly segregated. More money is still spent on majority-white schools, as well.

Freedom Day may not have brought about immediate change. It was still an important act of protest, though. For Ms. Spinks, whose seven children stayed home that day, it was worth it. 

“I would keep them home for a week if I felt it would help the cause of equal educational opportunity,” she said.

1. Read the introduction [paragraphs 1-4].Which selection suggests that the Chicago school district did not change immediately after the 1954 Supreme Court decision?AThen, in 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation was against the law.BIn Chicago, black and white students were still separated almost 10 years later.Correct ChoiceCThat was why the seven Spinks children were taking part in “Freedom Day.”DFreedom Day was a boycott protesting school segregation in Chicago.

2. Which selection from the article gives one specific reason WHY places where black students lived were poor and very segregated?AIn many places, though, segregation continued. In Chicago, black and white students were still separated almost 10 years later.BAt the time, most white students lived in school districts with other white students, and black students lived in districts with mostly black students.CPart of the problem was that banks often refused to give loans to buy homes in black neighborhoods.Correct ChoiceDThen, in 1961, he started moving black students into mobile classrooms made out of metal.

3. Benjamin Willis thought that building new schools and classrooms was an effective way to address the overcrowding problems that children from black neighborhoods faced.How was the opinion of many people in the black community different?AMany believed that this kept black students in bad schools when they could be bused to white schools.Correct ChoiceBMany believed that he would never follow through on his promise to build new schools and classrooms.CMany believed that the only way to help black children was to move them from the city to the suburbs.DMany believed that his plan would not be accepted by the political leaders of Chicago who did not support them.

4. Read the section "Chicago Schools Are Still Segregated."Which sentence from the section shows the author's opinion about Freedom Day?AMore protests and boycotts were held.BReal improvements did not happen until more than 20 years later.

CIt was still an important act of protest, though.Correct ChoiceDFor Ms. Spinks, whose seven children stayed home that day, it was worth it.