In this paper major research results and legal and political issues relating to the topic of school desegregation are summarized. Each of the four parts highlights significant findings and decisions. The first section deals with the philosophical and moral principles underlying the movement toward equal educational opportunities through school desegregation. The second section begins with a review of the findings of the Coleman Report, and follows with a summary of the literature stimulated by the report. The author discusses the results of this follow-up research and analyzes criticism of methodological and interpretative techniques in various works. In the third section of this paper the impact of school desegregation is linked with the social and political environment. The author reviews literature reflecting the interrelationship between desegregation and both national and local level political factors. In addition the need to study actions and attitudes of educators, community leaders, and parents, in order to evaluate the impact of desegregation on a school system and community is emphasized. In the concluding section a general failure in the literature to consider the complexities of school desegregation is stressed. It is recommended that this situation be remedied by further study. (Author/GC)