- B row ns ville ▁area ▁of ▁Brook lyn ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁three ▁decent ral ized ▁school ▁districts ▁in ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁give ▁the ▁minor ity ▁community ▁more ▁say ▁in ▁school ▁affairs . ▁Many ▁obser vers ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁decent ral ization ▁experiment ▁was ▁a ▁can ard : ▁Little ▁educational ▁adv ancement ▁for ▁the ▁pover ty - str icken ▁students ▁of ▁Ocean ▁Hill - B row ns ville ▁could ▁be ▁achieved ▁without ▁additional ▁resources , ▁yet ▁the ▁city ▁provided ▁none . ▁ ▁The ▁crisis ▁began ▁when ▁the ▁Ocean ▁Hill - B row ns ville ▁gover ning ▁board ▁fired ▁ 1 3 ▁teachers ▁for ▁alleg edly ▁sab ot aging ▁the ▁decent ral ization ▁experiment . ▁Sh ank er ▁demanded ▁that ▁specific ▁charges ▁be ▁file d ▁and ▁the ▁teachers ▁given ▁a ▁chance ▁to ▁defend ▁themselves ▁in ▁due ▁process ▁proceed ings . ▁ ▁A ▁prot ract ed ▁fight ▁er upt ed ▁between ▁those ▁in ▁the ▁community ▁who ▁supported ▁the ▁Ocean ▁Hill - B row ns ville ▁board ▁and ▁those ▁supported ▁the ▁U FT . ▁A ▁series ▁of ▁illegal ▁strik es ▁occurred ▁between ▁September ▁ 9 ▁and ▁November ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 1 9 6 8 . ▁Many ▁supp or ters ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁school ▁board ▁res orted ▁to ▁ra cial ▁inve ct ive . ▁Sh ank er ▁was ▁brand ed ▁a ▁rac ist , ▁and ▁many ▁African - Amer icans ▁accused ▁the ▁U FT ▁of ▁being ▁' J ew ish - domin ated '. ▁ ▁Feld man ▁was ▁often ▁at ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁the ▁strike