Post #1: Introduction and Modern Day Relevance

Hey Blogspot Readers!

Welcome to my blog! This is where i'll be posting all my personal opinions and reflections on the book Pushout, a call to action on the criminalization of black girls in the American education system. Written by Monique W. Morris, this book is a collection of appalling true, real life consequences young black women still face in school to this day, simply for being black. It raises attention to how segregated mindsets still remain in our classrooms and why it is imperative they must change. The Washington Post calls this a book “for everyone who cares about children.” (Laughlin) However, only a few chapters in and one can clearly tell this is a book not only for everyone who cares about children, but for anyone who cares about the equality of the most basic human rights.

Growing up in the Hopkinton school system, students have been very lucky to have lived in such a sheltered and kind hearted community. However, this is a reality that is hard to come by for many Americans across the country.

As a whole, most communities are not as racially synonymous as Hopkinton, and this both has it's pros and cons. By living in a community that is made up of mostly one racial group there is as a whole no racially charged discrimination or biases associated with anyone in the group. But by being surrounded by people that look very similar to you and partake in similar cultural practices, you miss out on understanding the viewpoints and traditions of racially diverse peers. This may lead to cultural intolerance or misunderstandings later down the road if not properly educated. However, i’ve seen that Hopkinton is filled with multitudes of educated students who as a result of good education, understand to treat all races with respect. That everyone is the same.

However many pupils were not this lucky.

They were not this lucky to receive an early education in what is right and what is wrong. How could they even have time do to so when their schools are filled with “chaotic and disruptive learning spaces in which fighting are arguments were the norm [...] where adolescents were vying for attention and social status.” (37) These environments do not foster tolerance or education, and definitely not respect for one another. These schools are centered in the poorest of communities where many students feel a sense of hopelessness with no end, and as a result, act out. Many of the teachers around the country are so busy with the burden of controlling the violence of these classrooms, in the end, neglect each students potential.

From school/ghetto environments such as those, a stereotype had formed long ago about the black female. Still living to this day, there stills stems a common perception of black girls and how they must be disciplined in schools in relation to their expected behavior. This is one of the main themes in Pushout, Morris frequently questions the appropriateness of the oddly harsh punishments used when disciplining black girls. There doesn't appear to be much randomness in these patterns, through multiple specific examples Morris clearly identifies some of the arbitrary methods of punishment that exclusively black girls, are subjected to within the very places that are supposed to be nurturing them. One of the best relevant examples that illustrates the “exclusionary discipline” ( 12) black girls are subjected to in their schools, happened not too long ago on January 15. Two months ago at Binghamton Middle School, New York, four twelve year old African American girls were strip searched in speculation of drug possession simply on the accountant that they were acting “giddy.” The incident sparked so much debate that even New York Governor Andrew Cuomo commented on the situation, saying “The allegations that 12-year-old girls were strip-searched for drugs after being perceived as 'hyper and giddy' at a Binghamton middle school are deeply disturbing and raise serious concerns of racial and gender bias." (Griffith) One has to think, would the procedure have been the same if it were four white girls, four asian girls …. would it have mattered?  In the end there was much backlash to the school’s inappropriate actions towards the middle school girls, many agreeing with Gov Cuomo saying the whole situation was rooted in racial stigma.

Throughout what i’ve read so far, Morris mainly focuses her attention on the inherent connotations others associate with young black girls. Her main points as a whole are that these girls do not receive the same education experiences or opportunities as a result of racial stereotypes. She states “Black women and girls, especially those in fragile circumstances, absorb widely accepted distortions of Black American feminine identity (that they are less intelligent, hypersexual, loud, sassy, ghetto or domestic), and it undermines their [...] performance in school.” (43)

It's no secret that not everyone has the same shot at success from the starting line, but to be deprived of it simply because of what others believe you are, is one of the most harmful types of injustices a country can do. All students no matter their racial or ethnic background should have access to an education that will provide them with the opportunities they need to reach their goals, whatever they may be.  In 2019, where tolerance is growing and awareness of everyday racism is as woke as ever, there is no reason for why a stereotype can deprive even one young girl of a happy and healthy future.

                                                 Works Cited

Griffith, Janelle. "Alleged strip search of 4 black middle school girls prompts third-party investigation."NBC News, 2019 NBC Universal, 30 Jan. 2019, www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/alleged-strip-search-4-black-middle-school-girls-prompts-third-n964856. Accessed 6 Mar. 2019.

Laughlin, Alex. "The startling thing that happens to black girls in preschool." The Washington Post,Washington Post, 26 Apr. 2016 www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/04/25/monique-morris-pushout/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.fbfdb2686005. Accessed 7 Mar. 2019.