Distinguish between de jure and de facto segregation. Which statement is accurate?

• A. De jure segregation is segregation by social patterns and housing practices.
• B. De jure segregation is segregation by law; de facto is segregation by practice and social patterns.
• C. Both forms are illegal in the modern era.
• D. De facto segregation only occurs in schools.

Answer: (B)

De jure segregation means separation that is created and enforced by law. Historically, governments passed and enforced statutes or court orders that required separate facilities and services for different racial groups. De facto segregation, by contrast, arises from everyday practice, housing patterns, and social norms—ways people live and interact that result in separation even without any legal mandate. For example, housing markets, school zoning, and neighborhood choices can produce racially divided communities and schools without new laws requiring it. Because civil rights laws and landmark court decisions dismantled most legal segregation, de jure segregation is largely eliminated in formal terms today, though remnants can still appear in some policies or enforcement. De facto segregation persists in many areas, particularly in housing and schooling, where separation comes from how neighborhoods are organized and how markets and social patterns operate.