The Power of One

As the previous section showed, small individual preferences can integrate neighborhoods just as easily as they can segregate them. Here, for instance, is how the first segregated neighborhood on the previous page became integrated after you satisfied all pieces:

This dramatic change illustrates two key points about reducing segregation. First, you don’t need to be a hero like Rosa Parks to make a difference. Whether segregation takes place in a neighborhood, cafeteria, classroom, or elsewhere, ordinary individuals have the power to integrate even the most segregated environment.

Second, integration doesn’t require large changes in behavior. When we find ourselves in a segregated situation, what’s needed is for each of us to seek contact with at least one person outside our group. As Rosa Parks once said about her individual act of protest back in 1955:

I had no idea it would turn into this. It was just a day like any other day. The only thing that made it significant was that the masses of the people joined in.

Note: This concludes the main exercise. The next page contains Frequently Asked Questions about segregation and this interactive exercise. Thank you for visiting!