The systemic devaluation of Black people that originated during slavery continues today in punitive practices that disproportionately push Black children and other children of color out of schools and into the criminal legal system. To ensure equitable education for all youth, educators and communities must play a role in decarceration, which begins with school discipline reform.
Analyzing whose perspective is centered and whose is erased in significant conversations and spheres of influence paints a clear picture—an inconvenient truth— about the pervasiveness of systemic racism. And it’s particularly important that Black children see themselves represented in these narratives—especially in those spaces where Black people are intentionally rendered invisible. These LFJ resources highlight what’s at stake in the choices we make.
Juneteenth, celebrated June 19, marks the day enslaved Texans learned they were free in June of 1865. While the history of the holiday includes the injustice of enslavement, Juneteenth should also be understood in the context of Black people’s fight for justice and freedom. As Staff Writer Coshandra Dillard notes, “Students, particularly Black students, can find empowerment in the jubilant celebrations of culture, activism and the humanity of a people.”
