In June 1974, a U.S. District Court judge ordered the Boston Public Schools system to begin busing students between predominantly white and predominantly African American areas of the city to desegregate the city’s public schools starting in September of that year.

Over the summer, CRS worked with Boston Public Schools leadership, the Boston Police Department, the mayor’s office, and community leaders to increase communication, develop plans for security, and formulate contingency plans prior to the beginning of the school year. When demonstrations against the desegregation order occurred, CRS worked with law enforcement and community leaders to ensure people could peacefully and safely protest. At one march involving more than 20,000 individuals, march organizers refused to take the designated route. In response, CRS provided onsite conciliation services and worked out a compromise that was credited with preventing violence.

When the 1974-1975 school year began, CRS worked with school officials to help resolve confrontations among students through an agency-initiated monitoring system designed to evaluate racial tension and to intervene in any developing problems before they became violent. CRS trained and supervised the monitors who included local community members, volunteers from school associations and social service agencies, and faith leaders. CRS organized a network of racial/ethnic parent councils in all city schools and racial/ethnic student councils in all city high schools after the court ordered these councils be established in every school with 10 or more African American students and 10 or more white students. The councils acted as a communication channel for students, parents, teachers, and administrators regarding solutions to racial problems.

Beginning in September 1975, CRS was asked to draw up a plan for a Citywide Coordinating Council (CCC) that would be responsible for mobilizing community support to avoid disrupting schools. The CCC was also responsible for disseminating public information, monitoring tension, acting as a community and district council liaison, developing educational programs, overseeing public safety and transportation, and ensuring students and community members understood the requirements of the desegregation order. The 40-member Council was deliberately made diverse both in racial makeup and views regarding desegregation.

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