An important focus of systemic injustice preavails in the American education system of punishment. A specific identity of people effected are black students. Within the preschool level alone, half of children suspend are black. Out of all students, black students are generally triple as likely to be suspended (7 Ways to Know Systemic racism is real). This emphasizes the severe education disadvantage that is evidently traced back to race because of how common the phenomenon is. It is an example of systemic racism because if a singular teacher unfairly punishes a student because they are Black, that is just blatant racism. But if Americans are seeing these the subtle reprimands based on skin color, it is ingrained in the system itself. This is likely due to racist stigmas that have evolved over time, making white educators more inclined to implement different punishments based on race.
(Mahnken, 2017)
Above is a graph representing the increased likelihood of a Black student’s (yellow) suspension in comparison to white students (green) on the left portion of the graph and the likelihood of low-income students (yellow) being suspended in comparison to higher income students (green) on the right. This data uses the percent likelihood of suspension specifically.Clearly, black and low income students are statistically more likely to receive a punishment as severe as suspension for an act that is not worthy of suspension. A video that may further explain unfair educational punishment stronger than suspension, such as unnecessary arrest, can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFJ37ri-Saw. This video emphasizes the idea of dramatic measures taken towards students because of what institutions have permitted as acceptable.
Relating this horrific commonality of racism to a class concept can be seen within de Beavoir’s idea of the “One” and the “Other”. Educators are treating black students differently than white students, making a category of human beings less inclined to desire learning. The imbalanced treatment and the overall discouragement can put the outliers at risk for decreased education. This decreased attention and affection for school will only worsen the group being put down by this way of thinking. Unfortunately, educators are treating Black students as “Others” by punishing them harsher than another group, solely based on identity and institutionalized discrimination. In order for this wrong to be righted, teachers should be required to attend meetings on how they can conquer this inequality. The teachers and administration should be questioned and evaluated if there is a higher frequency of punishment in towards one race. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that America is pushing children and families towards education, not away from it.
Sources:
How us schools punish black kids | 2020 election – youtube. Youtube. (n.d.). Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFJ37ri-Saw.
Mahnken, K. (2017). Report: When black students and white students fight, blacks receive harsher punishments. The 74 Report When Black Students and White Students Fight Blacks Receive Harsher Punishments Comments. Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://www.the74million.org/report-when-black-students-and-white-students-fight-blacks-receive-harsher-punishments/.
Seven Ways We Know Systemic Racism is real. https://www.benjerry.com. (2021). Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://www.benjerry.com/whats-new/2016/systemic-racism-is-real.
You offered very valuable resources and insights into the ways that systems deeply engrained into American society can reinforce and promote the furthering of systemic racism. I really like that you included additional links to videos and other materials to elaborate on this topic. Education is often considered the gateway to success but you prove how there are barriers to even this basic human right based upon the skin color of the child involved. I will be doing more research about how suspensions affect school performance and other outcomes, such as likelihood to graduate high school. I also think it is very important that you tied this topic into de Beauvoir’s Ones and Others, showing how no one, not even children, can escape this.