Definition

1. Verb:
   • To end a policy or system of racial segregation in a place, institution, or facility, making it open to people of all races and ethnic groups.

Usage and Examples

• Verb:
  • The Supreme Court ordered the city to desegregate its public schools.
  • The new law aimed to desegregate all public accommodations, including restaurants and hotels.
  • It took many years of protest and legal action to desegregate the university.

Advanced Usage

• Historical/Legal Context: The term is most commonly used in the context of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement to describe the process of ending legally mandated racial separation.
  • Federal troops were sent to ensure the state would desegregate its education system.
• Process vs. Result: Often describes an official, institutional action leading to integration.
  • The board's vote to desegregate the buses was a landmark decision.

Variants and Related Words

• Desegregation (n): The act or process of desegregating.
  • The desegregation of the military began in 1948.
• Segregate (v): (Antonym) To separate or set apart, especially by race.
• Integrate (v): A close synonym, often focusing on the successful result of creating an inclusive environment, whereas often focuses on the removal of barriers.

Synonyms

• Integrate
• Open (to all)
• Unify (in this specific context)

Antonyms

• Segregate
• Separate (by race)

Related Phrases/Idioms

• "To desegregate a facility": A standard phrase referring to ending racial exclusion in a specific place like a school, park, or neighborhood.
  • The protestors demanded the city council desegregate the public swimming pool.

Verb

1. open (a place) to members of all races and ethnic groups
   • This school is completely desegregated