Chapter 2: Lincoln High School During De Jure Segregation: Exploring the Importance of Social and Cultural Capital

Kansas City’s Lincoln High School was the first segregated high school for Black students. Lincoln High School emerged out of a de jure segregated public education system in the aftermath of the Civil War. Kansas City, Missouri’s segregated public schools operated from 1867 to 1955. Lincoln High School has a proud history rooted in excellence and student success. In this chapter, we explore the story of Lincoln High School, once the pillar of the Black community. In particular, we examine the social and cultural capital that led to Lincoln’s success during its roughly 75 years as a segregated high school. Using Yosso’s six types of cultural capital—aspirational, linguistic, familial, social, navigational, and resistant—we explore communities of color as a wealth of social and cultural capital. We conclude with implications regarding contemporary segregated schooling post Brown.