Protecting Black Girls

Statistics show that black girls in U.S. K-12 public schools are overrepresented among students who face disciplinary approaches (such as suspensions) that exclude or even criminalize them. Morris explains how black girls face conditions that make them vulnerable to a phenomenon she calls "school to confinement pathways"--conditions like race- and gender-based oppression, sexual victimization, and even biases (often implicit) among educators that affect how these girls are disciplined. Yet educators often dismiss girls' responses to being victimized as combative behaviors rather than as symptoms of trauma. Morris recommends three ways educators can respond to black girls more equitably: creating "healing-informed learning spaces" that involve nonpunitive discipline; using diverse, unbiased curriculums; and providing guidance about college and career pathways.