We must be willing to address the ongoing disparities in education.
I grew up hopping from school to school. Due to various challenges, I moved around a lot experiencing education in the county and city of St. Louis. I witnessed the impact that unchecked discipline has on the lives of myself and peers. At one school, there were in-school suspension programs, and in others there were only out-of-school options. However, none offered an alternative to suspension.
Last fall’s “From School to Prison: Missouri’s Pipeline of Injustice” report by the American Civil Liberties Union was a wakeup call to some. However, for many it is a daily lived experience.
The statistic that black students are 4.5 times more likely to be kicked out of school than their white peers is more than alarming. The fact that black students are almost twice as likely to be hit as their white peers because corporal punishment in Missouri is still legal is more than appalling. These are realities that our youth face every day.
Our youth are lovable; however, the education system that surrounds them does not treat them with that vibe. We expect them to study in schools with culturally irrelevant curriculums that do not reflect them and police that surveille them like criminals. In exchange, we kick them out of class, hit them, deny them their future, and cage them like animals.
We need to care for our youth by providing them access to equitable resources, ending youth jails, and implementing systems that enrich instead of punish them.
At Metropolitan Congregations United’s “No More Sittin Out” event in early October, I was honored to listen to the testimonies of school advocates and youth around St. Louis’ education system. One of the speakers was a youth named Dominic. Through the American Friends Service Committee, I came in contact with Dominic as his peer mediator coach. We train students on skills around conflict resolution. Dominic called for the institutionalization of more programs like peer mediation while condemning the mistreatment of black youth in schools.
He received a standing ovation from audience members, including SLPS Superintendent Kelvin Adams. However, our youth deserve more than handclaps. They need increased levels of resources, support, care, alternatives to suspensions and a restorative, culturally sensitive learning environment.
According to the Ferguson Commission report, there must be changes in schools. It includes research that supports this call. Vague infractions for “insubordination/disrespect” leave all students, particularly black and brown youth, susceptible to suspension. Missouri is notorious for being ranked 47 out of 50 in secondary education for suspension rates in a UCLA study called “Are We Closing the School Discipline Gap?.”
These youth are our next generation of lawyers, doctors, teachers, politicians, and professionals. They will be in our courtrooms, hospitals, schools, public offices, and boardrooms. When you need a legal opinion, these youth will be people you consult. If you fall ill, these scholars will be the ones who provide medical attention. How will you ensure that your child receives a quality education? These youth will be the answer to that as they will teach your student. We need to treat and value them as such.
There is no smoking gun. There are no easy wins to celebrate. We have no trump card. Let’s stop playing games with our youth’s lives and future. We have a lot of work ahead of us.
Jonathan Pulphus serves as the St. Louis Peace Program associate with the American Friends Service Committee and Youth Undoing Institutional Racism St. Louis.
