Research

Institutionalized backlash may be an important mediator of social progress. In the post-Brown v. Board (1954) U.S. South, white citizens established de jure segregationist private schools. These “segregation academies” effectively impeded efforts to integrate schools, especially in rural areas (Williamson, 2024).

In this paper, we study the consequences of this preservation of segregation on historical voting behavior and later racial attitudes in the Southeast. We argue that segregation academies entrenched a culture of racial division in places that otherwise would have made steps toward integration. Using difference-in-differences designs around the openings of segregation academies, we find a shift in anti-Black racial attitudes in White respondents in treated counties and a decline in local Black political representation. We discuss potential explanations for these patterns and extensions for future work.