In this ruling, the Supreme Court's conservative majority — which regularly crows about its fealty to the original intent of the U.S. Constitution — have ignored the explicit counsel of the Founders, writes Eileen McNamara. It is the dissenting opinion that relies on their guidance.

Most observers have viewed U.S. District Judge Arthur Garrity’s order as one that was foisted upon the city from on high, as though no Bostonians wanted the desegregation that he initiated, writes historian Jason Sokol. This view erases years of struggle waged by Black parents and activists.