Resignation in Detroit

An angry citizen telephoned a radio talk show in Detroit last week to complain about the busing of the city's children to integrate schools. Wearily, the show's host cut him short: "We've been through all that over and over again. It doesn't matter, it's over."

That attitude typified the resigned mood of most Detroiters last week as the city--the largest yet to start court-ordered busing--put its plan into effect. Indeed, for Detroit, which suffered one of the nation's worst riots in 1967, the first week of forced busing was remarkably peaceful. Although a few minor demonstrations were held by antibusing groups, there were no serious incidents in the schools or along the bus routes.

Minimum Tokenism. The city's plan is a modest one, involving about 10% of Detroit's 248,000 schoolchildren, and was apparently tailored by Federal Judge Robert E. De Mascio to keep resentment at a minimum, especially among the white minority. (Blacks make up 58% of the population, 76% of the public school enrollment.) Under his order, the few remaining mostly white schools in the outlying areas have exchanged students with the predominantly black schools closer to the downtown area; the aim is to increase white enrollment in those schools to at least 30%. But no whites are being bused into the city's core, where the schools are virtually all black. Hence, Detroit School Board President Cornelius Golightly, a black, calls the order "minimum tokenism," and the N.A.A.C.P. is appealing it in court.

In an effort to head off any violence, Detroit preceded the new busing plan with an aggressive public relations campaign. Union leaders, prominent businessmen, ministers, neighborhood clubs and other groups organized themselves last fall into PRO Detroit (People and Responsible Organizations for Detroit). The group called public meetings to discuss busing and invited parents to visit the schools to which their children had been assigned. Using air time donated by local radio and television stations, PRO Detroit broadcast spot ads featuring blacks and whites (some of whom said that they were antibusing) who urged parents and students to behave. Explains Jack Casey, director of the ad campaign: "Our idea was 'Don't preach, don't try to sell busing, just try to tell people that it is important to obey the law.' "

Following the lead of Boston papers during the busing riots in September 1974, the Detroit press ordered reporters to play down antibusing protests and acts of violence. The Detroit News, a longtime foe of busing, even editorialized: "Let's not blow this chance to demonstrate that Detroit is an urban community where civility and tolerance survive."

All of the effort paid off--at least for the first week. Attendance in Detroit's 300 public schools averaged 83%, only 5% below normal. But whether the plan achieves its long-range goal of school integration in Detroit or--as it has in other towns--simply hastens the exodus of the city's whites remains to be seen.

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