The collection is arranged into one series.
The collection includes: annual METCO Parent Handbooks which detailed the services METCO provided and provided other information for parents of children attending the METCO supported schools, 1977-2004; event programs from METCO gatherings, 2007-2014; flyers and handouts; and posters, including 7 hand-made posters created to be displayed at meetings, featuring photographs and articles on some of the school districts METCO served.
METCO Inc. Materials, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection donated by METCO Inc., through Jean McGuire, Director, 2016
The Racial Imbalance Act of 1965 was passed by the Massachusetts General Court. It made the segregation of public schools illegal in Massachusetts, and stated that any public school in the Commonwealth whose student body was composed of over 50% of minority races was "racially imbalanced." The Boston School Committee was required to achieve "the complete integration of the Boston Public Schools" before September 1966. Significant civil unrest followed court-ordered busing to achieve the aims of this legislation, especially during the years 1974-1976. Against this background, METCO was started in 1966. METCO's mission was to enable voluntary integration in public schools in Metropolitan Boston, by enabling students who lived in the city to attend schools in the more affluent suburban areas, and provide better educational opportunities for minority students.
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection is unprocessed.