What form of segregation persists despite laws banning segregation, arising from personal choice and private actions?

• A. De facto segregation
• B. Rational basis test
• C. Glass ceiling
• D. NAACP

Answer: (A)

De facto segregation is segregation that exists in practice due to private choices and social patterns, even after laws ban official segregation. It persists because housing markets, economic differences, and personal preferences lead people to live in separate neighborhoods and send their children to different schools, so separation remains in daily life despite legal equality. This differs from de jure segregation, which is segregation that is imposed by law. The other options don’t describe this phenomenon: the rational basis test is a legal standard for evaluating laws, not a type of segregation; the glass ceiling refers to invisible barriers to advancement within organizations; the NAACP is a civil rights organization.