Following a pattern of bruising defeats, civil rights advocates have become increasingly distrustful of the Bush Administration and the Supreme Court. But last week, topping a series of important decisions, the high court surprised some of its toughest critics by giving a major boost to racial integration. By a 5-4 vote, the court ruled that a federal judge can order school officials to raise taxes to pay for desegregation remedies. Furthermore, said the court, the judge can instruct officials to ignore state laws limiting the amount of school taxes.
The case arose in Kansas City following a long-running battle over the...