Why Black girls are targeted for punishment at school -- and how to change that | Monique W. Morris

翻译人员: Cissy Yun 校对人员: Lipeng Chen

When I was in the sixth grade, I got into a fight at school.

在六年级， 我在学校打了一架。

It wasn't the first time I'd been in a fight,

这不是我第一次打架了，

but it was the first time one happened at school.

但这是我第一次在学校里打架。

It was with a boy who was about a foot taller than me,

对方是比我高一头多的男孩，

who was physically stronger than me

体格比我壮多了，

and who'd been taunting me for weeks.

他已经骚扰我几周了。

One day in PE, he stepped on my shoe and refused to apologize.

有一天的体育课上，他踩了我的脚， 并拒绝向我道歉。

So, filled with anger, I grabbed him and I threw him to the ground.

当时的我怒火冲天，一把抓住他， 并把他摔到地上。

I'd had some previous judo training.

我以前练过柔道。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Our fight lasted less than two minutes,

我们的这场架持续了不到两分钟，

but it was a perfect reflection of the hurricane

但它真确反应了

我内心中日积月累成的 一股风暴，

that was building inside of me

as a young survivor of sexual assault

因为我是一个年少的性侵受害者，

and as a girl who was grappling with abandonment

我还是一个挣扎于遗弃与

and exposure to violence in other spaces in my life.

暴力之中的女孩。

I was fighting him,

我在和他打架的同时，

but I was also fighting the men and boys that had assaulted my body

也是在向那些侵犯过我身体的 男孩与男人

and the culture that told me I had to be silent about it.

和阻止我发声的文化宣战。

A teacher broke up the fight

一位老师拉开了我们，

and my principal called me in her office.

我的校长而后把我叫到办公室。

But she didn't say, "Monique, what's wrong with you?"

但是，她并没有说， “莫妮科，你发什么神经？”

She gave me a moment to collect my breath

她给我一些时间来平复呼吸，

and asked, "What happened?"

问了我，“发生了什么？”

The educators working with me led with empathy.

我的老师们以同情同理心引领我。

They knew me.

他们理解我。

They knew I loved to read, they knew I loved to draw,

他们知道我热爱阅读， 他们明白我喜欢画画。

they knew I adored Prince.

他们知道我喜欢歌手“王子”。

And they used that information to help me understand

他们用这些信息来帮助我理解

why my actions, and those of my classmate, were disruptive

为何我和我同学的行为，

to the learning community they were leading.

对于他们引领的学习群体 造成了破坏。

They didn't place me on suspension;

他们没有让我停学，

they didn't call the police.

也没有报警。

My fight didn't keep me from going to school the next day.

我的这场架并没让我 第二天上不了学。

It didn't keep me from graduating; it didn't keep me from teaching.

并不会使我毕不了业， 并没阻止我从事教育。

But unfortunately, that's not a story that's shared by many black girls

可惜的是，这并不是多数黑人女孩 可与之共鸣的故事，

in the US and around the world today.

无论是美国还是全球各地。

We're living through a crisis in which black girls

我们正处于一个危机中： 黑人女孩以极不正常的比例

are being disproportionately pushed away from schools ---

被推离学校——

not because of an imminent threat they pose to the safety of a school,

这并非因为她们对于 学校的安全有威胁，

but because they're often experiencing schools

而是因为对她们来说，

as locations for punishment and marginalization.

学校是她们饱受惩罚 和被边缘化的地方。

That's something that I hear from black girls around the country.

这是我从全国各地的 黑人女孩口中听说的。

But it's not insurmountable.

这并非是个无法解决的难题。

We can shift this narrative.

我们可以改变这个情况。

Let's start with some data.

先来看看数据吧。

According to a National Black Women's Justice Institute analysis

根据国家黑人妇女司法协会

of civil rights data

对于民权数据的分析，

collected by the US Department of Education,

这些数据由美国教育部收集，

black girls are the only group of girls who are overrepresented

黑人女孩是唯一一群 在学校的纪律惩罚体系中

along the entire continuum of discipline in schools.

受惩戒比例过高的女孩。

That doesn't mean that other girls aren't experiencing exclusionary discipline

这并不代表其他女孩不经历 停学之类的惩罚，

and it doesn't mean that other girls aren't overrepresented

也不代表其他女孩不过度经受

at other parts along that continuum.

其他惩罚。

But black girls are the only group of girls

但是黑人女孩是唯一一组

who are overrepresented all along the way.

在所有惩戒方面 都比例过高。

Black girls are seven times more likely than their white counterparts

相比白人女孩，黑人女孩

受到停学处分的几率要高7倍，

to experience one or more out-of-school suspensions

and they're nearly three times more likely than their white and Latinx counterparts

而相较于白人和 拉丁裔女孩，黑人女孩

to be referred to the juvenile court.

被送往青少年法庭的几率 要高出3倍。

A recent study by the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality

最近一项乔治城大学 贫困与不平等中心的研究

partially explained why this disparity is taking place

部分解释了为何有这样的差距，

when they confirmed that black girls experience

他们确认了黑人女孩会经历

a specific type of age compression,

一种特殊的“年龄压缩”，

where they're seen as more adult-like than their white peers.

她们会比同龄的白人同学 看起来更成熟。

Among other things, the study found

在其他方面，这个研究发现

that people perceive black girls to need less nurturing,

人们一般认为，相比白人女孩， 黑人女孩只需较少的关怀，

less protection, to know more about sex

不需要那么多的保护， 也对性生活有更多的了解，

and to be more independent than their white peers.

相比白人女孩来说， 她们更独立。

The study also found

这个研究还发现

that the perception disparity begins when girls are as young as five years old.

这种认知差异在 女孩们五岁的时候就有了，

And that this perception and the disparity increases over time

这种差异随着时间越积越多

and peaks when girls are between the ages of 10 and 14.

在女孩10岁到14岁之间， 达到顶峰。

This is not without consequence.

这并非没有后果。

Believing that a girl is older than she is can lead to harsher treatment,

认为一个女孩比实际年龄要成熟 会导致她受到更严厉的对待，

immediate censure when she makes a mistake

在她犯错误时，会受到过多的谴责；

and victim blaming when she's harmed.

而当她受到伤害时，大家会责怪她。

It can also lead a girl to think that something is wrong with her,

这也可能导致一个女孩认为 她自身有一些问题,

rather than the conditions in which she finds herself.

而未察觉问题出在 她处于的环境。

Black girls are routinely seen as too loud, too aggressive,

黑人女孩一直被看作 太大声，太气势汹汹，

too angry, too visible.

太易怒，太出挑。

Qualities that are often measured in relation to nonblack girls

这些特征都与非黑人女孩比较，

and which don't take into consideration what's going on in this girl's life

但却没有考虑到 这个女孩经历过什么，

or her cultural norms.

也没有考虑到她的文化常态。

And it's not just in the US.

这并非只发生在美国。

In South Africa,

在南非，

black girls at the Pretoria Girls High School

比勒陀利亚女子高中的黑人女学生们

were discouraged from attending school with their hair in its natural state,

被学校规劝，若她们保持自然发型， 不经化学烫发处理，

without chemical processing.

不能上学。

What did those girls do?

所以这些女孩做了什么?

They protested.

她们抗议。

And it was a beautiful thing to see the global community for the most part

看到全球各地的人们

wrap its arms around girls as they stood in their truths.

支持并向这些女孩伸出援手， 真是件美好的事！

But there were those who saw them as disruptive,

但也有人将这些女孩看作是捣乱者，

largely because they dared to ask the question,

仅仅因为她们质问了，

"Where can we be black if we can't be black in Africa?"

”若我们没法在非洲保持黑人本真， 还能在哪儿？“

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

It's a good question.

这是一个好问题。

Around the world,

在全球各地，

black girls are grappling with this question.

黑人女孩都在思考这个问题。

And around the world,

同样在全球各地，

black girls are struggling to be seen, working to be free

黑人女孩挣扎着让自己被重视， 努力来让自己自由，

and fighting to be included

用尽一切使自己

in the landscape of promise that a safe space to learn provides.

可在应许之地，争取到相等的机会。

In the US, little girls, just past their toddler years,

在美国，小女孩， 刚过蹒跚学步的年龄，

are being arrested in classrooms for having a tantrum.

仅因在教室里发了一会儿 脾气，就被逮捕。

Middle school girls are being turned away from school

中学女孩被学校劝退

because of the way they wear their hair naturally

仅仅因为她们不将自己的头发烫直

or because of the way the clothes fit their bodies.

或因为穿了紧身的衣服。

High school girls are experiencing violence

高中女孩甚至会经历

at the hands of police officers in schools.

来自校方警卫的暴力对待。

Where can black girls be black without reprimand or punishment?

黑人女孩到底可以在哪儿 做自己而不受惩罚？

And it's not just these incidents.

这些仅仅是冰山一角。

In my work as a researcher and educator,

我作为一个研究者和一个教育者，

I've had an opportunity to work with girls like Stacy,

我有幸和一个叫史黛西的女孩 一起工作，

a girl who I profile in my book "Pushout,"

我的书《排挤》也提到了她，

who struggles with her participation in violence.

她挣扎于自己的暴力倾向。

She bypasses the neuroscientific and structural analyses

她完全避开了神经科学和构造分析

that science has to offer

可以提供的

about how her adverse childhood experiences inform

有关她幼年不幸可能引导了

why she's participating in violence

她去参与暴力，

and goes straight to describing herself as a "problem child,"

而直接称呼自己“问题儿童”。

largely because that's the language that educators were using

正因为这是她的师长用的词

as they routinely suspended her.

他们常常让她停学。

But here's the thing.

但是请想想，

Disconnection and the internalization of harm grow stronger in isolation.

脱节和仇恨内化会在人被孤立时 猖狂滋长。

So when girls get in trouble, we shouldn't be pushing them away,

所以当女孩闯祸时， 我们不该将她们推开，

we should be bringing them in closer.

我们应该拉近她们。

Education is a critical protective factor

教育是一个至关重要的保护方式，

against contact with the criminal legal system.

来对抗与犯罪法律系统的接触。

So we should be building out policies and practices

我们应该建立规则和惯例

that keep girls connected to their learning,

让女孩与学习紧紧相连，

rather than pushing them away from it.

而不是将她们推离学习。

It's one of the reasons I like to say that education is freedom work.

这也是为何我称教育， 为使人自由的工作。

When girls feel safe, they can learn.

当女孩们感到安全时， 她们就可以学习。

When they don't feel safe, they fight,

当她们感到危险时， 她们会斗争，

they protest, they argue, they flee, they freeze.

会抗议，会争讨， 她们会逃开，她们会不知所措。

The human brain is wired to protect us when we feel a threat.

当我们感到威胁时， 人类大脑会启动天生的保护机制。

And so long as school feels like a threat,

所以说，只要学校对她们来说 是一种威胁

or part of the tapestry of harm in a girl's life,

或者是女孩一生受的伤害中的 一部分，

she'll be inclined to resist.

她就会想要反抗。

But when schools become locations for healing,

但当学校变成一个治愈所，

they can also become locations for learning.

它就可成为学习的地方。

So what does this mean for a school to become a location for healing?

所以一个学校变成治愈所的 意义在哪儿？

Well, for one thing, it means that we have to immediately discontinue

第一，我们必须立刻停止

the policies and practices that target black girls for their hairstyles or dress.

那些针对黑人女孩发型和穿着 的纪律规定。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Let's focus on how and what a girl learns

让我们更多关注 女孩学了什么，

rather than policing her body in ways that facilitate rape culture

而不是监控她的身体， 从而增长强暴文化

or punish children for the conditions in which they were born.

或是惩罚孩童， 仅仅由于她们出生的环境不同。

This is where parents and the community of concerned adults can enter this work.

在这一步，家长和关注此事的群体 可以参与进来。

Start a conversation with the school

与学校谈话，

and encourage them to address their dress code

并鼓励他们将着装标准

and other conduct-related policies as a collaborative project,

还有其他相应的规范政策 看作一个合作项目，

with parents and students,

与家长与学生探讨，

so as to intentionally avoid bias and discrimination.

这样可以避免歧视和偏差。

Keep in mind, though,

但要当心的是，

that some of the practices that harm black girls most are unwritten.

许多伤害黑人女孩的行为规范 是不被写下来的。

So we have to continue to do the deep, internal work to address the biases

所以我们得继续深入地工作 来消除偏见，

that inform how, when and whether we see black girls for who they actually are,

来提醒大家，我们看待黑人女孩时 是否是基于她的本身，

or what we've been told they are.

还是受别人的意见影响后 看到的她们。

Volunteer at a school

在学校里当志愿者

and establish culturally competent and gender responsive discussion groups

并建立文化能力和 性别认知讨论小组

with black girls, Latinas, indigenous girls

与黑人女孩， 拉丁裔女孩和 原住民女孩们

and other students who experience marginalization in schools

还要包括其他在学校 经历边缘化的学生们

to give them a safe space

要求学校提供一个安全的空间

to process their identities and experiences in schools.

让他们可以梳理自己的身份与 在学校的经历。

And if schools are to become locations for healing,

而若学校可以成为治愈之地，

we have to remove police officers

我们需要在学校中去减少警卫

and increase the number of counselors in schools.

但增加更多的指导员。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Education is freedom work.

教育是使人自由的工作。

And whatever our point of entry is, we all have to be freedom fighters.

无论我们何时加入这个行业， 我们都需要成为自由斗士。

The good news is that there are schools

好消息是， 现在有许多学校

that are actively working to establish themselves

正在努力让自己变成

as locations for girls to see themselves as sacred and loved.

女孩们可以感到自己是神圣的与 被爱的地方。

The Columbus City Prep School for Girls in Columbus, Ohio, is an example of this.

俄亥俄州的哥伦布市女子学院 就是一个例子。

They became an example the moment their principal declared

就是因为校长声明

that they were no longer going to punish girls for having "a bad attitude."

他们不会仅因为女孩有“不好的态度” 而惩罚她们。

In addition to building --

除了建造方面之外，

Essentially, what they did is they built out a robust continuum

这所学校建立了一个成功的体系

of alternatives to suspension, expulsion and arrest.

用各种方案替代停课、停学和逮捕。

In addition to establishing a restorative justice program,

除了建立这个有修复式正义的 规范体系，

they improved their student and teacher relationships

他们还改进了学生与教师的关系，

by ensuring that every girl has at least one adult on campus

让每个女孩在危机时刻

that she can go to when she's in a moment of crisis.

可以在校园中找到 至少一个成年人来倾诉。

They built out spaces along the corridors of the school and in classrooms

他们在校园走廊、教室中建立空间

for girls to regroup, if they need a minute to do so.

让女孩们可以在受挫折后 可以用点时间缓缓神。

And they established an advisory program that provides girls with an opportunity

他们还建立了一个指导项目 为女孩们提供机会，

to start every single day with the promotion of self-worth,

用提升自我价值，

communication skills and goal setting.

沟通技能以及目标设定 来开始每一天。

At this school,

在这所学校，

they're trying to respond to a girl's adverse childhood experiences

他们尝试正视一些女孩 所经历的负面童年，

rather than ignore them.

而不是无视它们。

They bring them in closer; they don't push them away.

他们拉近女孩， 而非排挤她们。

And as a result, their truancy and suspension rates have improved,

结果是，学校的逃学率和 停学事件得到显著进步，

and girls are arriving at school increasingly ready to learn

女孩们现在来到学校 更加做好了学习的准备，

because they know the teachers there care about them.

因为她们明白老师真心关怀她们。

That matters.

这很重要。

Schools that integrate the arts and sports into their curriculum

那些将艺术和体育纳入课程，

or that are building out tranformative programming,

或是建立变革项目

such as restorative justice, mindfulness and meditation,

比如修复式正义，深思以及冥想， 这样做的学校

are providing an opportunity for girls to repair their relationships with others,

正在为女孩提供机会 与其他人修复关系，

but also with themselves.

但也是与自己重修于好。

Responding to the lived, complex and historical trauma

面对我们的学生所经历的 系统性的、复杂的、

that our students face

历史性的创伤，

requires all of us who believe in the promise of children and adolescents

需要相信孩子们的期望的我们

to build relationships, learning materials,

去建立关系、编辑教材、

human and financial resources and other tools

寻找人际方面或是资金上的资源,

that provide children with an opportunity to heal, so that they can learn.

建造工具提供孩子一个治愈的机会， 让她们由此才可学习。

Our schools should be places where we respond to our most vulnerable girls

学校应该是一个可以对 最脆弱的女孩作出反馈的地方

as essential to the creation of a positive school culture.

这对创建一个积极的学校文化 非常重要。

Our ability to see her promise should be at its sharpest

我们应能最敏锐地 看见女孩的潜能，

when she's in the throws of poverty and addiction;

当她陷入贫困和毒瘾中；

when she's reeling from having been sex-trafficked

当她在人口性交易

or survived other forms of violence;

或是其他暴力行为的 阴霾中挣扎时，

when she's at her loudest,

当她大声呼救时，

or her quietest.

也当她缄口不语时。

We should be able to support her intellectual

我们需要能够支持她的

and social-emotional well-being

身心、社交健康，

whether her shorts reach her knees or stop mid-thigh or higher.

无论她的短裤否及膝，或在大腿中部 还是更短。

It might seem like a tall order in a world

这看似十分艰难，

so deeply entrenched in the politics of fear

特别是在一个深深扎根于 恐惧政治中的世界

to radically imagine schools as locations where girls can heal and thrive,

要去积极想像学校是一个女孩 可以治愈和蓬勃向上的地方，

but we have to be bold enough to set this as our intention.

但我们必须要勇敢地将其设为目标。

If we commit to this notion of education as freedom work,

若我们将教育视为 使人自由的工作，

we can shift educational conditions

我们可以改变教育环境

so that no girl, even the most vulnerable among us,

不让任何女孩， 即使是最脆弱的女孩

will get pushed out of school.

被推出学校。

And that's a win for all of us.

这样，我们才是真正成功了。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）