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The images and stories are indelible. Ruby Bridges walking out of school surrounded by U.S. Marshalls. The Little Rock Nine high school students entering school escorted by the U.S. Army and the Arkansas National Guard. I picture my mother, who, at 17 years old, was bused to a high school in a white neighborhood 45 minutes away, only to be confronted by people rioting in front of the school and officers with German shepherds stationed inside the school.
While overt discrimination may no longer be sanctioned, the insidious biases that once fueled segregation have merely morphed into subtler, yet still harmful, forms of injustice that are enmeshed in school policy and the everyday practices of educators. Why are Black girls singled out for punishment in the first place? The answer lies in the intersecting dynamics of race and gender that shape our society. Black girls are often subjected to harmful stereotypes and prejudices that paint them as inherently unruly or aggressive. Studies have also shown that Black girls are perceived as older and less innocent than their white counterparts of the same age, leading to harsher treatment and punitive responses to their behavior.
To do this, we must confront the root causes of racial disparities in school discipline and work toward a new vision for our education system: a system that affirms Black girls’ identities, fosters a sense of belonging, and ensures they have every opportunity to live out their dreams. This means moving away from punitive measures that perpetuate cycles of exclusion and lead to criminalization and instead, implementing practices and policies that prioritize healing, support, and empowerment.