Some sixty years after the 1954 "Brown" decision declared separate schooling inherently unequal, America's student population is much larger and more demographically diverse. For many decades court mandated desegregation plans were implemented, but today public schools are again largely segregated by race, ethnicity, and family socioeconomic status (SES). Does this resegregation of schools matter? The preponderance of high quality social, educational, and behavioral science research disseminated since the late 1980s is clear and consistent: the racial and SES composition of schools influences short- and long-term outcomes. And segregation is harmful for all students. This brief reports on a quick synthesis of the empirical evidence from almost four decades of high quality social, educational, and behavioral science research and suggests that an integrated education can fosters greater adherence to democratic values and enhances a person's propensity for civic engagement.