Stop the Prejudice Against Girls of Color in School

A first grader was suspended when she asked her teacher not to yell at her. A girl was suspended for a week because she accidentally broke a pencil sharpener. A 12-year old was slammed into the ground by a student resource officer. 

What do they all have in common? They're girls of color. 

Girls of color are far more likely to be disciplined in school. Nationally, Black girls are disciplined at six times the rate of white girls, while Hispanic girls are twice as likely to be suspended, and American Indian and Native-Alaskan girls are 3.5 times more likely to receive suspensions. Mixed race girls? They're three times more likely to be suspended from school. 

This blatant prejudice has harmful repercussions. By missing school, girls of color are falling behind their classmates. Being the target of excessive discipline makes them feel unwelcome at school and afraid to speak up, and students who are suspended or expelled are more likely to drop out. 

The National Women's Law Center is pushing for policy solutions to protect young girls of color in school. We believe educators and counselors must be trained to recognize - and combat - their implicit bias, and develop alternative discipline practices to replace harsh zero-tolerance policies. 

Sign your name to stand with us and stop the prejudice against girls of color in school!