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National Park Service Article

Anti-Busing Protest at Dorchester Heights

During the struggle to desegregate Boston public schools in the 1970s, activists rallied and protested throughout the city, including at many historic sites that now comprise the National Parks of Boston. Historic Dorchester Heights, known for its role during the 1775-1776 Siege of Boston, has long served as a space for commemorations and community gatherings. This tradition carried on during the fight against busing due to its location next to South Boston High School.

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National Park Service Article

Desegregation Protests at the Bunker Hill Monument

During the struggle to desegregate Boston public schools in the 1970s, activists rallied and protested throughout the city, including at many historic sites that now comprise the National Parks of Boston. In 1975, busing arrived in Charlestown, and with its arrival Bunker Hill Monument became center stage to the fight against forced busing.

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National Park Service Article

Black Education Movement in the 20th Century

In the 1800s, the Black community of Boston succeeding in integrating the Boston Public Schools. Decades of petitions, protests, speeches, a court case, and other demonstrations culminated with the Massachusetts legislature outlawing public school segregation in 1855. Despite this law and initial success, however, by the mid-1900s, the schools had once again become segregated by race.

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National Park Service Article

Protest at Faneuil Hall

During the struggle to desegregate Boston Public schools in the 1970s, activists rallied and protested throughout the city, including at many historic sites that now compromise the National Parks of Boston. Activists on both sides of the desegregation issue seized upon the power of place and the upcoming bicentennial of the country in 1976 to assert their voices and claim America’s revolutionary legacy as their own.