Despite the successes of the Civil Rights movements, integration/desegregation did not occur overnight. Controversies over the practice of bussing, government-mandated racial quotas, and open enrollment in local schools were present in Greenbelt from 1972 on. Greenbelt was similar to many places across the U.S. in that residents mostly welcomed their new African American neighbors but prejudices continue to exist. As the DC metro area continued to grow and push farther into the suburbs, Greenbelt residents feared that "big city problems" could overwhelm their small cooperative community. And unfortunately, deep-seated prejudiced thinking across America, as well as government-sanctioned practices such as redlining have erroneously linked African Americans to crime, drugs, and poverty for many decades. 

Demographics in Prince George's County changed rapidly in the 1980s. In 1980 Census data shows that the county was 59% white; 37% Black. In 2010 Census data showed that the county was 27% white; 64% Black. Although tensions still exist, Greenbelters have shown through words and actions that they are committed to the same values of community and cooperation that Greenbelt was originally founded upon.