The past year has been wrought with challenges for the entire world with the global Covid-19 pandemic, but also brought forward Black Lives Matter, the largest social justice movement since the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 24: Protesters with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement march through Manhattan following the shooting of a Black man by a White police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin over the weekend, on August 24, 2020 in New York City.
Millions of people of all ages, genders, races, backgrounds, and beliefs took to the streets to battle the overwhelming inequalities that minorities still face well into the 21st century. Increased police presences and heightened security measures don’t give comfort to many, particularly in areas that are primarily populated by persons of color. An article from July 2020 in The Washington Post Do #BlackLivesMatter in schools? Why the answer is no addresses that the state of education is no different than that on the streets. Schools are no longer just the means to prison but have become prisons themselves; policies and procedures target and persecute students of color and in supporting “zero tolerance” policies, students are fast tracked toward a life within the criminal justice system. The ACLU has complied statistics reflecting the disparages between discipline of black and white students and the numbers speak for themselves.
The blatant systemic racism engulfs the youth that are so desperate to break the cycle of school-prison pipeline; the deck is simply stacked against them. Policy change must occur, community involvement must occur- without input from those directly affected, how can any true progress forward be made? Educators and teachers must be given more tools for supporting their students aside from shoving them out the door for punishments that only further underscore the issue. A study conducted in Texas by the Department of Education showed students that were suspended were more likely to be held back a grade or drop out. This coupled with the blatant systemic racism and “broken windows” theory (cracking down on small infractions to discourage larger incidents and promote a sense of security and order within a community) leaves students of color at a massive disadvantage in the education system. Students are being given a glimpse first hand of prison life before ever even considering a crime and it has truly tainted the youth of America.