Black Girls and School Discipline: A Holistic Case Study Through a Black Feminist Lens

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 23
  In Roundtable Session: Critical Examinations of Punitive Leadership, Policies, and Practices and Their Impact on Students of Color

Abstract

This work is a holistic case study of school discipline as it pertains to urban Black girls. It explores the experiences of urban Black girls and their perceptions of and interactions with school discipline vis-à-vis their race, gender, and class. This qualitative study illuminates students’ sentiments regarding experiences with school discipline and the ways in which it has impacted their academic trajectory. It centers the voices and experiences of Black girls to more deeply understand the following: (1) the class, family background, and other social factors that surround the punishment of Black girls; (2) the types of infractions for which Black girls are disciplined; (3) the ways in which school discipline shapes the academic trajectories of Black girls.

Authors

• Shena Sanchez, University of California - Los Angeles

• Jamelia Nicole Harris, University of California - Los Angeles

• Terry Allen, University of California - Los Angeles