A
lot of research has been done on the criminalization of Black boys, but few
have taken the time to properly unpack how Black girls are treated by the
media, authorities and in their very own communities. However, Dr. Monique W.
Morris, a social justice scholar and the founder/ president of the National
Black Women’s Justice Institute has stepped up to draw attention to this
crisis.
On
average, few people ever connect the dots and that boils down to value and awareness:
just consider all of the missing girls in this nation, those we know have been kidnapped
and enslaved in Nigeria for trying to get an education in a Chibok school or
the countless ones we read about throughout the world. Consider all the young girls that are wrapped
up in the R. Kelly mess, and people saying that they (even as teens) knew what
they were doing so they deserved it.
Black
girls just are not valued.
Despite
what seems like a collective dismissal of a problem, PBS will debut a new documentary
entitled PUSHOUT: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools
on March 16th to dissect the problem by sharing the alarming numbers
of African-American girls facing “unfair and inequitable treatment in schools
across the country and outlines initiatives to help them cope and heal.”
Based
on Morris’ two books “PUSHOUT: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools” and “Sing a Rhythm, Dance a Blues,” the documentary, according to
Forbes magazine’s Jane Levere shows how “African-American
girls are the fastest-growing population in the juvenile justice system and the
only group of girls disproportionately experiencing harsh discipline at every
educational level.”
She further says that the documentary features
“the heart-wrenching stories from girls ages seven to 19 from across the
country as they narrate the personal challenges they have encountered in their
learning environments and beyond, including the testimony of 12-year-old
Samaya, who was dragged out of class – and out of her school building – at age
seven by her teacher, and left outside to wander the streets for hours before
her parents were notified. The documentary also offers insights from noted
experts who have worked in social justice, gender equality and educational
equity, and explores critical interventions that have been effective in
interrupting criminalization in schools.”
Last December by
Representatives Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), and Bonnie Watson
Coleman (D-NJ) introduced a federal bill inspired by the film called The Ending
PUSHOUT Act of 2019. Perhaps, some things are gonna change.
The
film also will be shown on the PBS WORLD Channel nationwide starting March 17.
The post Have Black Girls Been Criminalized in Schools? The Answer Might Be in This New PBS Doc appeared first on The Source.
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