April 1971
Events
- April 20, 1971Supreme Court Unanimously Upholds School Busing as Desegregation Remedy
In Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld busing, racial balance ratios, and gerrymandered attendance zones as tools to dismantle segregated school systems. The decision was a legal victory but triggered fierce white political backlash, fueling anti-busing movements in cities including Boston, Louisville, and Detroit.
- April 28, 1971FBI Officially Ends COINTELPRO Following Exposure
FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover officially terminated COINTELPRO on April 28, 1971, following the Media, Pennsylvania document theft. However, successor programs continued under different designations. The FBI continued monitoring and disrupting Black political organizations including the Black Panther Party under routine counterintelligence authority.
- April 20, 1971Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg
The Supreme Court upholds busing to desegregate schools.