Remember how I discovered that until the 1990’s biracial described groups of black and white people, not individuals or people of mixed-race?  Well one of those groups still exists.  In fact 6 of them do in Florida.

What is it required to do? Its bylaws require members to hold an annual meeting in September and to meet on a regular basis on a schedule that they set themselves. The members are also to meet whenever the committee chairman or superintendent needs them to, such as to review the attendance lines for new schools that open in the fall.

Why are members required to be only black or white? When a group of parents filed a suit against the district, Hispanics were not included in the lawsuit. Blacks were separated from whites, and several black parents sued for their children’s rights to equal access to public schools.

What are the details of the case? A group of Orange parents first sued the district in 1962, spurred by its refusal to let Evelyn R. Ellis attend Boone High. Her father, John P. Ellis, was president of the Orange County NAACP. The lawsuit evolved over the years, with different parties, including the NAACP, signing on. In 1964, a judge declared Orange must desegregate its schools. During that time, Orange often ignored the order and at times deliberately flouted it. In 1971, for example, School Board members voted to go to jail rather than accept busing for racial balance. Later, members agreed to move 900 students around the county. Orange has largely ended that practice for all but about six schools.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/education/orl-asecracebox08040809apr08,0,4849860.story