Over the duration of the Fall 2020 semester, Associate Professor of Education and Interim Director of the Center for Global Understanding and Peacemaking (CGUP) Dr. Shannon Haley-Mize has been leading both a First Year Seminar (FYS) and a book club to discuss anti-Black racism within the education system. These discussions centered around the book “Pushot: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools” by Monique W. Morris. 

The FYS that Mize taught this semester, “You Got Schooled: Identity and Power in Education,” was not her first experience with using “Pushout” in an academic setting. In prior semesters, Mize taught an elective course in the education department that covered similar topics. Being able to cover this course in the education department was something that Mize felt was extremely important, since the field of education doesn’t always focus its attention on systemic issues and she wanted to caution future educators from navigating the world with a “color-blind” lens.

“In education we spend a lot of time talking about getting to know your students and building a classroom climate that supports all students,” said Mize. “But…we also need to address the systemic racism that is present in schools and dismantle those systems.”

Taking the additional step to read “Pushout” in student book clubs was a natural step for Mize, who collaborated with Associate Professor of Social Work Dr. Susan Mapp to set up the book club and acquire the rights to the film adaptation of “Pushout.” Following the completion of the book clubs was a panel that occurred on Sunday, Oct.18 and had over 100 students in attendance. 

Presenting at the panel was Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Dawnielle Simmons, fifth-year Special Education Masters student Ilaynna Brown, Adjunct Professor of Social Work Dr. TaLisa Ramos-Watts, Class of 2009 Alum and school counselor Rebecca Whiteselland Class of 2018 Alum and Site Supervisor at “Methodist Services for Children and Families” Sabria Fountain. Acting as moderators were Mize and Director of Title IX/Compliance Programs and Intercultural Affairs Nichole Gonzalez. 

The panelists discussed their responses to “Pushout” and engaged in broader discussion about marginalization in education, with a focus on how Black girls are specifically impacted. Given the difficult nature of the subject manner, the film (and book) were at times difficult to engage with for some of the panelists. 

“The film was hard to watch,” said Brown, “I took breaks watching the film and had to read the book in chunks… [anti-Black racism in schools] isn’t something that’s past tense.”

Brown further expanded on this in an interview after the panel, “The entire process was difficult as it is emotionally and mentally draining to discuss acts of violence with people who share identities with you,” she said. 

Simmons also agreed that the film was difficult to watch, elaborating, “I couldn’t watch all of it because, frankly, I didn’t need to… I resonated with all of it.” 

“Pushout” focuses on the disproportionate rates at which Black girls receive punitive punishment within the school system and how this treatment within school causes further marginalization on the basis of race, creating additional barriers to equal education. 

“[“Pushout”] reminded me of a lot of things I have seen in the classroom setting,” said Fountain. “It tap[ped] into colorist as well, as a lot of girls shown in this movie were darker girls. [With colorism] the darker complected female is always seen as more aggressive, more angry. As a darker-skinned woman I saw myself in that role…it was emotional for me…there’s a lot of things that we, as Black women, have known our entire lives…but for other people this conversation is new.”

Fountain further expanded on this, talking about how Black girls are often sorted into categories of “good” and “bad” very early on in their education. In response to an anecdote about a Black girl being called “articulate” by her teacher, Fountain said the following:

“I think when there’s these type of microaggressions… it’s how [educators] separate who is going to be a bad student and who is going to be a good student,” she continued. “You have this narrative of who this person is supposed to be and now they’re trying to figure it out as an adult.” 

These characterizing assumptions not only cause Black girls to feel isolated and unwelcome in the classroom, but can carry serious consequences in terms of their own physical and psychological safety. 

“[With] Black women in particular…there is this assumed aggression, this assumed over-sexualization,” said Simmons. “There is this notion that police officers, and people in general, assume Black bodies are older and more aggressive than they are.” 

Combatting these negative stereotypes and preventing further marginalization requires white educators to unpack implicit biases in order to make sure that they are treating their Black students with compassion and understanding. 

“It starts with you and understanding what your cultural threshold is, understanding how you see the world and how you perceive other people,” said Brown. “Always start with your own education because it was not perfect and there were things that were intentionally left out.”

Whitesell echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the importance for educators to take on anti-racist work for themselves, “[Educators] have to be proactive instead of reactive,” she said. “All these students come from different backgrounds…we have to meet them where they’re at.” 

In addition to doing anti-racist work on an individual, or even on a community level, the panelists note that true progress won’t be achieved until the systems that enforce racism are examined, deconstructed and decolonized. 

“[It’s important to] understand the hegemony that surrounds education,” said Ramos-Watts. “The dominant narrative has really guided the culture as to what is appropriate, what is professional…take the time to challenge that narrative and to..support and empower all Black girls.”

Simmons also spoke as to how cultural narratives reinforce racism and felt that the film was an important first-step in deconstructing those narratives.

“White supremacy seeks to insulate anti-Black individuals in ways that preclude them from acknowledging the reality of violence against Black people. This film forces them to reconcile that delusion,” she said. 

Without addressing the systemic structures that uphold racism, it is impossible for educators to truly create these spaces. 

“You can change the behavior of an individual teacher, or an administrator,” said Gonzalez. “But if the system they operate within still upholds and maintains racist and oppressive structures, individual efforts can be undone in the next classroom, the next year, the next district.”

Anti-racism work is a continuous process and one that is especially important for educators. 

“For current and future educators, it is important to engage in education from an informed and critical lens that addresses White supremacy in more explicit ways…Having historical knowledge of White supremacist pedagogy…will foster a better understanding of contemporary expressions of violence against Black girls and women,” Simmons said. “If educators actively engage in critical race work, they will create classrooms that are inclusive and safe for Black girls.”