Going Back to School: Ensuring that Our Black Boys and Girls are Treated as Children

In a matter of days, our Black boys and girls will be returning to school. For some, especially our boys, this is not a time of celebration, as it should be. Instead of being taught, they are being unjustly punished - hyper-surveilled and hyper-penalized. The dismal numbers tell the story when it comes to discipline - suspension and expulsion. They do not lie. For example, Black boys are 19% of preschool but 52% of suspensions, according to data from the Office for Civil Rights Civil Rights Data Collection. Both groups are disciplined more than all other racial and ethnic boys and girls (See ocrdata.ed.gov). A recent report reveals ongoing troubling problems with the adultification of Black children.

Figure 1. Ten Characteristics of Adultification: Black Childhood Denied.Figure created by D.Y. Ford & E.M. Hines (2024).In Figure 1 and throughout this piece, we delineate 10 types of adultification we have witnessed as educational professionals and caregivers. After describing each, we disaggregate them to highlight similarities and differences for Black boys and girls (Table 1). This urgent call for change ends with recommendations for preK-12 educators to be pro-Black, anti-racist, culturally responsive advocates for these young Black students who are under their care.

Recommendations: 

Childhood Advocacy and Justice for Black Boys and Girls in P-12 School Settings

Children are in our care for 13-14 years: educational advocates are needed.