The subject of whether or not Black students and other children of color receive harsher punishments than their counterparts has been a conversation that’s been ignored for too long. The latest disciplinary action was against a 11 year old Black student of Christ The King Elementary in Terrytown, Louisiana. The roman catholic school sent the child home after she had “broken” a “No Braids” protocol that was allegedly implemented over the summer. After 2 years of attending the school without any issues over her hair, she was told that her hairstyle was “unacceptable” and was sent home in tears. The family of the girl did not agree with the school’s decision but nonetheless they (school) had the last say and the student’s mother is looking into placing her daughter in another location.
In Amerikkka’s learning institutions, the miseducation and the destruction of Black people’s culture has always been on the agenda, going back to restrictions such as not being able to speak one’s native tongue, what is worn, and now the hairstyles. Braids have correct names such as Suku (Shuku) and Didi meaning “basket” and are part of African cultures with many different styles defining a woman’s social and marital status. For example, Suku that start at the forehead going all the way to the nape of the neck may suggest that a woman is married. Single women have a different pattern. So let’s be clear that “braids” is just not a trend but but it says something meaningful and it is part of a people!
The emotional toll this “Administrative Discrimination” takes on Black children is swept under the rug while the child is either branded with being “bad” or having a “learning disability.”
Any teacher or staff that tells a child that something that is part of his or her culture is “unacceptable” might add that the student’s VERY existence is “unacceptable.”
The kid is basically punished for being who he/she really is, just like anywhere else when dealing with racism here in this kkkountry.
In doing POOR Magazine WeSearch, The Government Accountability Office can say stat-wise that Black students are far, far more likely to be punished unfairly and more severely, even students who attend schools in the more affluent areas, but there were no talks of action to change the problem.
Here in SF, frustrated Mamas such as myself and Mama Jewnbug have little support and we are ignored and our children persecuted.
“These big public schools are suppose to be practicing restorative justice and they are not. They have no real community building and no conflict resolution in practice. My son has been retaliated against twice and was suspended along with his friends. Other students didn’t get any consequences but I had to place my son in a school outside SF for his safety and to avoid having an expulsion on his record. The public schools are not de-escalating violence they only punish. Our Brown and Black children should be safe and yet they are targeted, labeled and criminalized.”
Mama Jewnbug has been dealing with the runaround and the unjust tactic of Black, Brown and other children of color being but against each other just like myself with the case of my kid being bullied when she attended Everett middle school and was punished more than the girls that bullied her. The young girls are of Latina descent and there was one teacher in particular who sided with the girls no matter what they said. We had several smoke blowing meetings and I along with another Mama had came up with solutions and Queena asked if she could either change classes or do her work in the office to avoid conflict and WE were refused these simple accommodations while the girls who are filming Queena in class, harassing her, labeling her the “angry black girl” and provoking her to fight or react out of anger and the same teacher blamed her. After witnessing the unjust ways this teacher was showing I kept Queena out of school because she did not feel safe and she felt as if the adults did not listen to her. Our children have the right to be treated with dignity and equality, not like ⅗ of a human being. Also the “hidden” agenda of pitting all us people of color against each other is way overplayed and if the skkkool system refuse to eliminate these biased school protocols then it is about time the community come together to educate our own children ...-fairly.
Queennandi Xsheba PNN KEXU