Epilogue

This concluding chapter considers what Oxnard's narrative tells us about the historical imperatives and experiences of our segregated past, and reflects on how these insights can bring more complexity to national discussions about race, schools, and equality. It considers what would have been different if the Soria case had more centrally accounted for Oxnard's history, and if this would have helped to expose the board members' use of racially restrictive covenants as part of “a systematic scheme of racial segregation.” Furthermore, the chapter reflects on what would have happened if the attorneys, for the plaintiffs or the defendants, had sought out experts on educational history, and what insights they might have received.