EJ, I am afraid that, in my opinion, you suffer from not being able to see clearly. I do not mean this as a perjorative, rather an observation. It comes from being misdirected by a racist line of thinking perpetuated on us by those with an agenda. The problem isn't one of color, but rather of economics. 150 years ago, in the USA, it was my people that were looked upon in this manner. At various times, it was the Germans, Poles, Chinese, Mexicans, etc. Equating the problem in public schools with color, instead of funding and education levels, allows those whose agenda it is to destroy those same schools, to flourish. In my family we were taught to fight injustice. Why should the color of ones skin, or the amount of income in ones family, determine the quality of ones education in a public school? You are mixing up the problems and then dealing with them in a way that makes you comfortable. It isn't color, but color is being used to justify action. That is racism. Just the very fact that these kids are using phrases like "It's tradition" to justify a racist act shows how shielding them from one another is wrong. I am sure they are lovely kids, raised by decent folks,...............who can't see the damage done to them and that they are passing on.

Mick