Chapter 5 and Epilogue
Hello readers! Welcome to my final blog post! Today I will be reflecting on my final thoughts regarding Pushout.
I will do this by answering a question that I continually asked myself throughout the text. How do you prevent the criminalization of black girls in schools?
Monique Morris addresses this question in depth in the final chapter. I appreciated this because I could not help but notice that throughout Pushout Morris raises concerns about many issues, but she never offers solutions. However, Morris provided an extensive explanation elaborating upon solutions in Chapter 5.
Morris constantly references the school to prison pipeline, so one way to prevent criminalization could be giving girls access to good education in prison. As I discussed in my previous blog, the education in juvenile detention centers simply is not adequate. Black girls spend a couple months of their lives in these facilities, but the terrible education they receive makesthe transition back to normal schools incredibly difficult. The curriculum in detention centers is "... often driven by simple worksheet packets that each student was required to complete every day. There was little opportunity for [the girls] to collaborate with each other, learn from each other, or interrogate the material through inquiry and discussion" (146). The education girls receive in correctional facilities is nothing like what they learn in actual schools, so when they return they are behind and often end up dropping out of school or being placed in a detention center again. Inadequate education in correction centers helps influence the idea of the school to prison pipeline. Girls who are incarcerated do not have the opportunities to be the best they can be; "... girls in the juvenile court school [are] educated in a single classroom and [they all learn] the same material" (162). Everyone in a juvenile classroom learns the same material regardless of their age or learning abilities. This results in some girls falling behind, and some girls being forced to learn things they already know. This approach is not effective, as the girls do not have the ability to be as successful as they could be. On the other hand, many girls could avoid education while incarcerated if they stayed in school. Something that could encourage them to stay in school could be the creation of strong student teacher relationships.
Morris suggests that strong student teacher relationships are the key to abolishing the criminalization of black girls. Many of the girls that Morris interviews describe their teachers as apathetic towards the girls' education. Morris explains how her discussions with many of these girls was "... the first time that an adult had asked them about their future goals and their experiences with schools" (187). I was shocked by this because at our school, teachers support us, constantly asking how we are doing and how our classes are doing. We also have access to guidance counselors that help us get into college or find a job. I agree with Morris on the fact that student teacher relationships must be strong in order for the student to succeed. A teacher that Morris interviewed stated that "'the teacher has to teach more than just the curriculum'" (62). Teachers must be sympathetic towards a student, they can not throw students out of class for the slightest infraction. If a student is acting up, instead of throwing them out, they should instead pull the student aside and ask them if something is wrong, or if things are okay at home. All of the girls Morris is writing this book for just want to know that someone cares. They want to know that someone cares whether they get an education or let their lives go to waste. These student teacher relationships could easily be strengthened if girls were not always forced to leave school due to strict school policies.
Morris proposes rewriting many policies to avoid the high amount of black girls being pushed out of school. I think that this could have the greatest effect on the criminalization of black girls. She says the zero tolerance policy must be abolished, and I agree. The zero tolerance policy imposes unnecessarily strict consequences on black girls for the slightest rule infractions. This results in a higher rate of punishments such as suspensions or detentions for black girls. In 2009 black girls were fifty-two percent of girls who experienced multiple out-of-school suspensions (68). Black girls make up more than half of the girls who are consistently suspended from school. This statistic makes it apparent how black girls are much more likely to experience criminalization than girls of other ethnicities. Just think about how many suspended girls could not go to school because of the zero tolerance policy. Zero tolerance policies are implemented because administrators believe that small infractions mean worse infractions could follow. However, these policies come at too high of a price. In some schools, one fight results in ten days of an automatic out-of school suspension. Leila, an eighteen-year-old, describes the injustice of an automatic ten day suspension: "'... they don't solve the situation. They just say, 'You go home for ten days, and you go home for ten days'... instead of trying to really figure out why did [they] fight and what's going on'" (81). This is the problem with zero tolerance policies. Educators hand out severe punishments without actually solving the problem. Suspensions usually result in students falling behind in school, no matter how much work teachers give the students to complete at home. The zero tolerance policy is a fancy phrase for the school helping their students fail. It is not necessary; each repeated rule infraction should result in a slightly worse punishment, rather than starting out with a suspension. Morris also emphasizes how dress code policies discriminate against black girls. She proposes that dress-code policies "... remove all references to hairstyles that are historically associated primarily with Black cultural traditions (e.g.,dreadlocks, braids, Afros, etc.)" (185). I think that these hairstyles should be allowed in all schools as their restriction is blatant discrimination against black culture. Being sent home for wearing your hair in a way that is culturally appropriate for you is not okay, especially if it takes away from your learning. Morris also says that schools should develop "... an objective decision-making took that provides administrators and staff with a rubric by which to gauge the acceptability of student dress" (185). I also agree with this, and I can relate to it because my friends have been dress-coded a few times for crop-tops or shorts that are too short. They complain about how it is subjective, but if there was an objective rubric, the schools could simply see if the clothing met the criteria for inappropriate. The rubric would hypothetically reduce discrimination against black girls for their clothing while leaving no room for disagreement or argument. I think that the change of school policies would be a giant step towards the abolition of the criminalization of black girls in schools.
Looking back at this blog, I am realizing that my tone has become a lot more agreeable when compared to my other blogs. In my other blogs I was always contradicting what Morris was pointing out. However, I have finally accepted that the educational system is partially responsible for the criminalization of black girls. Now keep in mind, I still think that the girls are responsible for their failures, I am just recognizing that the school systems have a hand in black girls' criminalization. I think that I just needed to see proof that Morris could provide actual solutions for the issues she was raising. Chapter 5 and the Epilogue were also the most memorable sections of this book for me, as Morris ended her final chapter with the following sentences, "... [civil rights movements] do not have the capacity to fully redistribute power and eradicate racial inequality. There is only one practice that can do that. Love" (194). I thought this was a fitting and interesting end to Morris' book. It was interesting because I thought it was similar to something Martin Luther King would have said, as he "... believed love would change people and inspire them to dismantle unjust laws and systems of oppression" ("King's Message"). Both Morris and King believe that love is the only way to truly achieve change, and I just thought this was an intriguing comparison. To conclude, Pushout grew on me. I am not a big fan of nonfiction, but Pushout was a collection of truths, narratives, and emotions. Morris convinced me that America's school systems are contributing to the criminalization of black girls in schools. Thank you for joining me as I read Pushout!
I will do this by answering a question that I continually asked myself throughout the text. How do you prevent the criminalization of black girls in schools?
Monique Morris addresses this question in depth in the final chapter. I appreciated this because I could not help but notice that throughout Pushout Morris raises concerns about many issues, but she never offers solutions. However, Morris provided an extensive explanation elaborating upon solutions in Chapter 5.
Morris constantly references the school to prison pipeline, so one way to prevent criminalization could be giving girls access to good education in prison. As I discussed in my previous blog, the education in juvenile detention centers simply is not adequate. Black girls spend a couple months of their lives in these facilities, but the terrible education they receive makesthe transition back to normal schools incredibly difficult. The curriculum in detention centers is "... often driven by simple worksheet packets that each student was required to complete every day. There was little opportunity for [the girls] to collaborate with each other, learn from each other, or interrogate the material through inquiry and discussion" (146). The education girls receive in correctional facilities is nothing like what they learn in actual schools, so when they return they are behind and often end up dropping out of school or being placed in a detention center again. Inadequate education in correction centers helps influence the idea of the school to prison pipeline. Girls who are incarcerated do not have the opportunities to be the best they can be; "... girls in the juvenile court school [are] educated in a single classroom and [they all learn] the same material" (162). Everyone in a juvenile classroom learns the same material regardless of their age or learning abilities. This results in some girls falling behind, and some girls being forced to learn things they already know. This approach is not effective, as the girls do not have the ability to be as successful as they could be. On the other hand, many girls could avoid education while incarcerated if they stayed in school. Something that could encourage them to stay in school could be the creation of strong student teacher relationships.
Morris suggests that strong student teacher relationships are the key to abolishing the criminalization of black girls. Many of the girls that Morris interviews describe their teachers as apathetic towards the girls' education. Morris explains how her discussions with many of these girls was "... the first time that an adult had asked them about their future goals and their experiences with schools" (187). I was shocked by this because at our school, teachers support us, constantly asking how we are doing and how our classes are doing. We also have access to guidance counselors that help us get into college or find a job. I agree with Morris on the fact that student teacher relationships must be strong in order for the student to succeed. A teacher that Morris interviewed stated that "'the teacher has to teach more than just the curriculum'" (62). Teachers must be sympathetic towards a student, they can not throw students out of class for the slightest infraction. If a student is acting up, instead of throwing them out, they should instead pull the student aside and ask them if something is wrong, or if things are okay at home. All of the girls Morris is writing this book for just want to know that someone cares. They want to know that someone cares whether they get an education or let their lives go to waste. These student teacher relationships could easily be strengthened if girls were not always forced to leave school due to strict school policies.
Morris proposes rewriting many policies to avoid the high amount of black girls being pushed out of school. I think that this could have the greatest effect on the criminalization of black girls. She says the zero tolerance policy must be abolished, and I agree. The zero tolerance policy imposes unnecessarily strict consequences on black girls for the slightest rule infractions. This results in a higher rate of punishments such as suspensions or detentions for black girls. In 2009 black girls were fifty-two percent of girls who experienced multiple out-of-school suspensions (68). Black girls make up more than half of the girls who are consistently suspended from school. This statistic makes it apparent how black girls are much more likely to experience criminalization than girls of other ethnicities. Just think about how many suspended girls could not go to school because of the zero tolerance policy. Zero tolerance policies are implemented because administrators believe that small infractions mean worse infractions could follow. However, these policies come at too high of a price. In some schools, one fight results in ten days of an automatic out-of school suspension. Leila, an eighteen-year-old, describes the injustice of an automatic ten day suspension: "'... they don't solve the situation. They just say, 'You go home for ten days, and you go home for ten days'... instead of trying to really figure out why did [they] fight and what's going on'" (81). This is the problem with zero tolerance policies. Educators hand out severe punishments without actually solving the problem. Suspensions usually result in students falling behind in school, no matter how much work teachers give the students to complete at home. The zero tolerance policy is a fancy phrase for the school helping their students fail. It is not necessary; each repeated rule infraction should result in a slightly worse punishment, rather than starting out with a suspension. Morris also emphasizes how dress code policies discriminate against black girls. She proposes that dress-code policies "... remove all references to hairstyles that are historically associated primarily with Black cultural traditions (e.g.,dreadlocks, braids, Afros, etc.)" (185). I think that these hairstyles should be allowed in all schools as their restriction is blatant discrimination against black culture. Being sent home for wearing your hair in a way that is culturally appropriate for you is not okay, especially if it takes away from your learning. Morris also says that schools should develop "... an objective decision-making took that provides administrators and staff with a rubric by which to gauge the acceptability of student dress" (185). I also agree with this, and I can relate to it because my friends have been dress-coded a few times for crop-tops or shorts that are too short. They complain about how it is subjective, but if there was an objective rubric, the schools could simply see if the clothing met the criteria for inappropriate. The rubric would hypothetically reduce discrimination against black girls for their clothing while leaving no room for disagreement or argument. I think that the change of school policies would be a giant step towards the abolition of the criminalization of black girls in schools.
Looking back at this blog, I am realizing that my tone has become a lot more agreeable when compared to my other blogs. In my other blogs I was always contradicting what Morris was pointing out. However, I have finally accepted that the educational system is partially responsible for the criminalization of black girls. Now keep in mind, I still think that the girls are responsible for their failures, I am just recognizing that the school systems have a hand in black girls' criminalization. I think that I just needed to see proof that Morris could provide actual solutions for the issues she was raising. Chapter 5 and the Epilogue were also the most memorable sections of this book for me, as Morris ended her final chapter with the following sentences, "... [civil rights movements] do not have the capacity to fully redistribute power and eradicate racial inequality. There is only one practice that can do that. Love" (194). I thought this was a fitting and interesting end to Morris' book. It was interesting because I thought it was similar to something Martin Luther King would have said, as he "... believed love would change people and inspire them to dismantle unjust laws and systems of oppression" ("King's Message"). Both Morris and King believe that love is the only way to truly achieve change, and I just thought this was an intriguing comparison. To conclude, Pushout grew on me. I am not a big fan of nonfiction, but Pushout was a collection of truths, narratives, and emotions. Morris convinced me that America's school systems are contributing to the criminalization of black girls in schools. Thank you for joining me as I read Pushout!
Works Cited
Mathis, Dara T. “King's Message of Nonviolence Has Been Distorted.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 3 Apr. 2018, www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/04/kings-message-of-nonviolence-has-been-distorted/557021/.
Morris, Monique W. Pushout: the Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools. New Press, 2018.
I cannot believe people of any race get dress coded for how they wear their hair. You may disagree, but I understand why our school doesn't permit some crop tops and short skirts. I do think there should be objective measures of the 'appropriateness' of clothing, but really revealing and sexual clothing doesn't really have a place in school (again, my unpopular opinion). However, I can't think of a single hairstyle that would pose any problem to the school. Hair doesn't distract other students, and it doesn't conflict with any moral values that the school may have. Unless, of course, the school values racism.
ReplyDeleteI had no clue that there were hairstyles that violated some dress codes. That is ridiculous, and I would love to hear the school's reasoning behind those rules.
Georgia, I'd like to thank you for sharing your thoughts on my blog. I also agree that there should be some restrictions on clothing, but there definitely shouldn't be any restrictions on the way people wear their hair. It is discriminatory for black girls to be forced to change their hair when it is part of their culture. I think rules forbidding afros or dreadlocks shouldn't be in school dress code policies. Thank you for reading!
DeleteHey Ellie!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog. I agreed the most when you said that the educational system is partially responsible for the criminalization of Black girls. I thought your idea of “Black girls are responsible for their failures” was a little interesting. Some of the girls cannot help their poverty but just grow in an environment as such with no choice.
But overall, I think I agreed to your thoughts to this blog! I really enjoyed reading the same book as you, Ellie! :)
Hello Grace, I said that black girls were responsible for their failures because anyone will fail if they don't try. I know some kids at our school who are failing classes because they don't do the work or go to class. Some girls fail simply because they don't want to try. I think that the criminalization of black girls in schools is partially because of the education system, but sometimes the black girl herself can be at fault for her criminalization. Thank you for reading and sharing your opinion!
DeleteEllie, I've been impressed with how well you've woven evidence from the book into your blog posts, as I think these blog posts have included your strongest writing of the year. I'm also glad that you were able to recognize your own shifting opinions about the argument of the book. Well done.
ReplyDelete