The Supreme Court unanimously upholds busing as a tool to desegregate public schools.
At a Glance
- Date
- 20 April 1971
- Location
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Key people
- Warren Burger
- Category
- Law & Justice
- Source
- Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, 402 U.S. 1 (1971) · Oyez
What It Meant Then
It gave federal courts broad power to dismantle dual school systems.
What It Means Now
The decision shaped decades of debate over school integration and remedy.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Upholds Busing.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/swann-v-charlotte-mecklenburg-upholds-busing/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Upholds Busing. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/swann-v-charlotte-mecklenburg-upholds-busing/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Upholds Busing.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/swann-v-charlotte-mecklenburg-upholds-busing/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.