New York City is the nation's largest school system. Once again racial integration of schools in New York has become a hot button issue. It appears that much work needs to be done before enacted changes to middle school admissions policies in two city districts can refer to the present time period as the dawn of a new age of racial justice. Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza want to change the racial makeup of New York City's schools. Their plan, already under way, is to alter the rules under which many middle schools admit students, as a way of increasing diversity. The goal is to improve the educational opportunities of black and Hispanic students.The plan has generated opposition, especially among parents of students in selective middle schools. Overlooked in the controversy, however, is demography. The racial and geographic mix of students attending city schools will naturally limit attempts to increase diversity. One key fact: only 16% of the city's public middle school students are white. Another key fact: there are many selective middle schools, largely black and Hispanic, whose students attain much higher scores on state exams than the citywide average scores for those groups. These higher-achieving public schools, as well as the city's high-achieving charter schools, show that academic improvement is possible regardless of a student body's ethnic mix. Both facts suggest that improving the educational outcomes for black and Hispanic students on a large scale is going to require improving the schools they attend, as well as supporting high-performing charter schools.