Have you ever seen something unfair happen in school? Was it a girl that you knew? Maybe she’s Black and getting discriminated for something as minor as talking during class. This is unfair. It shouldn’t be happening, but sadly, it is. We should stop this from happening. You may be asking why I am saying all this. It’s because it’s happening everywhere in the United States, and there are only 15% of Black girls at school, but a huge portion of them get discriminated against. We should all find a way to stop this problem.
Far too many Black girls get discriminated against in schools for many unfair reasons and minor things. An article from the Intercultural Development Research Association says that Black girls are more likely to be suspended, get detention, and even get expelled. Statistics show how Black girls only make up 15% of the U.S public schools, but in that 15%, 37% of Black girls face in-school suspensions, 45% face out-of-school suspensions, 47% face corporal punishments (which is a physical punishment), 43% face expulsions, and 36% face school-related arrests. These punishments are something no one should have to go through, but this is what happens to Black girls for minor situations. They go on to say that, “The gap in punishment between black and white girls is mainly due to differences in how they are punished within the same schools, sometimes for the same behaviors.” This shows that someone with a lighter complexion will likely receive lighter punishment than someone with a darker complexion. These are girls without any disabilities, but the punishment rate for girls with disabilities is higher than for girls without. This is extremely sad. No one should be treated this way, especially not in a school environment where kids are supposed to feel safe, no matter what race or gender they are.
Even though many Black girls are discriminated against in schools, there are many ways we can battle this. Some include giving teachers bias training so they are not biased toward one race. The article “Understanding Racial Inequality in Education: Challenges and Solutions” says,” Implicit bias training: Programs that help educators recognize and challenge their own biases have been shown to improve student-teacher interactions and reduce disparities in discipline and grading.” Implicit bias is an unconscious favoritism or prejudice toward a specific gender or race. This is one of the many ways that we can combat discrimination. Another way to combat discrimination is by giving a diverse perspective. The same article also says, “Culturally responsive teaching: Incorporating diverse perspectives and materials into curriculum ensures that all students see themselves reflected in their education, increasing engagement and achievement.” This way, teachers can understand their students, and their students will respond positively with much engagement. These ways can battle discrimination, and schools should implement these as school policies.
In conclusion, there are ways this discrimination can go away, but we need everyone around the world to help in this mission. We can do this by giving teachers bias training from school administrators, and we can also help teachers remove their bias by giving them a diverse perspective and adding this to the teachers’ curriculum. The people who can help us reach this goal are big officials like the government and school administrators. Once we do this, our mission will be complete, and slowly, life for Black girls in school will become fair.
