RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Measuring the Distance: The Legacy of the Kerner Report
JF RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences
FD Russell Sage Foundation
SP 99
OP 119
DO 10.7758/RSF.2018.4.6.05
VO 4
IS 6
A1 Rick Loessberg
A1 John Koskinen
YR 2018
UL http://www.rsfjournal.org/content/4/6/99.abstract
AB On its release in 1968, the Kerner report, with its “two societies” warning, was the subject of intense public attention. However, within a year, concerns arose that the report’s influence was limited and that its recommendations were not being implemented. This perception has not changed noticeably since then. Fifty years later, it is important to accurately assess the report’s legacy and whether the nation has avoided becoming two societies. It has become clear, however, that the report has been implemented more than previously thought and that it has been and continues to be influential. It has also been determined that despite progress toward eliminating the disparity between blacks and whites, it has unfortunately not yet been as extensive as is needed.