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

譯者: John Li 審譯者: H_L Au

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

小六時，我捲入一場學校的打架

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

那不是首次發生，我打過架

but it was the first time one happened at school.

但是第一次在學校發生

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

對象是一個約比我高一呎的男生

who was physically stronger than me

他身型比我壯健

and who'd been taunting me for weeks.

他已經嘲笑我好幾週了

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

體育課時，他踩到我，卻拒絕道歉

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

我很生氣，抓住他並甩他到地上

I'd had some previous judo training.

我以前有練過柔道

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

Our fight lasted less than two minutes,

這場打架歷時不到兩分鐘

but it was a perfect reflection of the hurricane

但卻深深地反映了

that was building inside of me

我內心的一場風暴

as a young survivor of sexual assault

我是個年少的性侵害生還者

and as a girl who was grappling with abandonment

與遺棄搏鬥著的女孩

and exposure to violence in other spaces in my life.

而且在生活其他地方亦遭受暴力

I was fighting him,

我與他搏鬥著

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

但同時與侵害過我身體的 男人與男孩搏鬥著

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

還有要我保持沉默的文化氛圍

A teacher broke up the fight

一位老師中止了那場打架

and my principal called me in her office.

校長把我叫進他的辦公室

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

但她沒說：莫妮卡你有什麼問題？

She gave me a moment to collect my breath

她給我一點時間來調整自己的呼吸

and asked, "What happened?"

然後問道：發生什麼事了？

The educators working with me led with empathy.

我的師長以同理心導人

They knew me.

他們了解我

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

他們知道我喜歡閱讀，喜歡畫畫

they knew I adored Prince.

他們知道我喜歡音樂家 王子

And they used that information to help me understand

他們透過這些資訊讓我了解到

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

為何我和同學的行為

to the learning community they were leading.

會對他們領導的學習社群造成破壞

They didn't place me on suspension;

他們並沒有讓我停學

they didn't call the police.

他們也沒有叫警察來

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

那場架沒令我隔天不能到學校上課

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

也沒有讓我不能畢業，還有教書

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

很可惜其他的黑人女孩的故事不同

in the US and around the world today.

今天在美國以及世界各地

We're living through a crisis in which black girls

我們正經歷一個危機

黑人女孩們不成比例地被迫離開學校

are being disproportionately pushed away from schools ---

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

並非因她們對學校帶來即時威脅

but because they're often experiencing schools

而是因為學校常常成為

as locations for punishment and marginalization.

她們經歷懲罰與被邊緣化的地方

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

這是從我國的黑人女孩聽到的

But it's not insurmountable.

然而這並非難以克服的

We can shift this narrative.

我們可以改寫故事

Let's start with some data.

我們先來看些數據

According to a National Black Women's Justice Institute analysis

國家黑人女性司法機關分析

of civil rights data

由美國教育局收集

collected by the US Department of Education,

相關公民權利的資料

black girls are the only group of girls who are overrepresented

顯示黑人女孩是唯一一群在學校中

along the entire continuum of discipline in schools.

明顯有較高比例受到懲戒的女生

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

這並不表示其他女孩 沒有受到排斥性懲戒

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

也不代表其他女孩的比例沒有過高

at other parts along that continuum.

在某些地區

But black girls are the only group of girls

但黑人女孩是唯一

who are overrepresented all along the way.

整體受懲戒比例較高的一群

Black girls are seven times more likely than their white counterparts

黑人女孩比起白人多七倍的機會

to experience one or more out-of-school suspensions

會經歷一次或更多的停學

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

比起白人或拉丁裔多約三倍機會

to be referred to the juvenile court.

被移送到少年法庭

A recent study by the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality

喬治城的貧窮及不平等中心最近的研究

partially explained why this disparity is taking place

部份解釋了這樣的情形為什麼會發生

when they confirmed that black girls experience

研究確認黑人女孩

a specific type of age compression,

在經歷特別是針對年齡的打壓

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

因她們看來比白人同齡朋友更成熟

Among other things, the study found

研究也指出

that people perceive black girls to need less nurturing,

一般人都認為黑人女孩 需要較少的照顧

less protection, to know more about sex

較少的保護，對性愛更熟悉

and to be more independent than their white peers.

比同齡的白人同伴更獨立成熟

The study also found

研究也顯示

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

這樣的認知差異始於女孩五歲時

And that this perception and the disparity increases over time

這樣的認知差異隨著時間過去增加

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

於女孩十至十四歲時達到頂點

This is not without consequence.

這不是沒後果的

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

認為女孩比實際大導致更嚴苛的對待

immediate censure when she makes a mistake

如犯錯後即刻的譴責

and victim blaming when she's harmed.

受傷害時卻被責怪

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

這也可能導致女孩 以為自己出了什麼問題

rather than the conditions in which she finds herself.

而不是她所處的狀況不對

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

黑人女孩常被認為太吵鬧、

太有攻擊性、太生氣或太顯眼

too angry, too visible.

Qualities that are often measured in relation to nonblack girls

這些特質常用來和非黑人的女孩比較

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

但卻沒有考慮女孩經歷過什麼

或她身處的文化規範

or her cultural norms.

And it's not just in the US.

不只是在美國

In South Africa,

在南非

black girls at the Pretoria Girls High School

黑人女孩在普利托里亞女子高等學校

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

如頭髮維持天然狀態，不經化學處理

without chemical processing.

這樣的黑人女孩就不鼓勵到學校上學

What did those girls do?

這些女孩做了什麼？

They protested.

她們抗議

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

美好的是，全球社群都攜手擁抱她們

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

女孩們堅守著她們的真理

But there were those who saw them as disruptive,

但也有人認為她們是搗亂的

largely because they dared to ask the question,

就因為她們敢於問這問題：

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

「如果連在非洲都不能當黑人 那我們還能在哪裡當黑人呢？」

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

(Applause)

(掌聲)

It's a good question.

這是個好問題

Around the world,

在世界各地

black girls are grappling with this question.

黑人女孩都為這問題纏鬥著

And around the world,

同樣的在世界上

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

黑人女孩爭取被看見 努力爭取自由

and fighting to be included

努力爭取

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

安全的學習空間

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

在美國，學齡之年的小女孩

are being arrested in classrooms for having a tantrum.

在教室中發個脾氣就被逮捕

Middle school girls are being turned away from school

中學女孩被學校拒絕

because of the way they wear their hair naturally

因為她們讓頭髮維持在天然的樣子

or because of the way the clothes fit their bodies.

或因為她們穿衣服的方式

High school girls are experiencing violence

高中女孩在學校

at the hands of police officers in schools.

經歷來自警察的暴力

Where can black girls be black without reprimand or punishment?

在哪裡黑人女孩能做自己 而不受懲責備或者處罰？

And it's not just these incidents.

這並非偶發事件

In my work as a researcher and educator,

在我研究與教書的這幾年

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

我有機會和史黛西這樣的女孩共事

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

我在《Pushout》書中介紹過的女孩

who struggles with her participation in violence.

她和自己的暴力傾向對抗著

She bypasses the neuroscientific and structural analyses

她繞過了神經科學與結構分析

that science has to offer

那些科學可以解釋

about how her adverse childhood experiences inform

她幼時的不幸經歷如何

why she's participating in violence

導致她後來參與暴力

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

然後直接稱呼自己為「問題兒童」

largely because that's the language that educators were using

主要是因為她的師長都這樣叫她

as they routinely suspended her.

且經常讓她停學

But here's the thing.

但事實是這樣

Disconnection and the internalization of harm grow stronger in isolation.

脫節與內部傷害在隔離下更厲害

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

所以她們有麻煩時， 我們不應該把她們推開

we should be bringing them in closer.

應該要把她們拉得更靠近

Education is a critical protective factor

教育是關鍵的保護因素

against contact with the criminal legal system.

對抗與犯罪法律體系的接觸

So we should be building out policies and practices

我們應該建立政策和做法

that keep girls connected to their learning,

讓她們保持與學習的連結

rather than pushing them away from it.

而不是把她們推離學習

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

這是我喜歡叫教育為 「自由工作」的原因之一

When girls feel safe, they can learn.

她們感覺安全時，她們得以學習

When they don't feel safe, they fight,

當她們感覺不安全，她們就對抗

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

她們抗議、爭論、逃離、不知所措

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

人腦內建有機制會保護我們逃離威脅

And so long as school feels like a threat,

所以如果學校感覺像個威脅

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

成為可能傷害她的東西之一

she'll be inclined to resist.

她就會抗拒

But when schools become locations for healing,

當學校成為能療傷的地方

they can also become locations for learning.

亦可成為學習的地方

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

讓學校能療傷是什麼意思？

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

首先，我們必須立即停止

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

總是針對黑人女孩頭髮 與衣著的政策和常規

(Applause)

(掌聲)

Let's focus on how and what a girl learns

專注在她們如何學習、學到什麼

rather than policing her body in ways that facilitate rape culture

而不是監督她們的身體 迎合強暴文化

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

或因與生俱來的狀態而責罰小孩

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

家長和關心的成人可以幫忙的地方

Start a conversation with the school

開始跟學校對話

and encourage them to address their dress code

鼓勵他們將服儀規定

and other conduct-related policies as a collaborative project,

和其他操行相關政策成為

家長與學生間合作的專案

with parents and students,

so as to intentionally avoid bias and discrimination.

藉此避免偏見與歧視

Keep in mind, though,

不過要記得

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

很多傷害黑人女孩的行動並沒明文

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

所以我們要繼續深入找出偏見

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

來看我們看到的是否立基於真正的她

or what we've been told they are.

還是被別人形塑出來的她

Volunteer at a school

在學校當志願者

and establish culturally competent and gender responsive discussion groups

成立文化能力、性別敏感的討論小組

with black girls, Latinas, indigenous girls

與黑人、拉丁裔、原住民女孩

and other students who experience marginalization in schools

以及其他在學校被邊緣化的學生

to give them a safe space

給予她們一個安全的空間

to process their identities and experiences in schools.

處理她們在學校的身份認同和經歷

And if schools are to become locations for healing,

而如果我們要讓學校能夠療傷

we have to remove police officers

我們應該移除警察

and increase the number of counselors in schools.

並增加在校輔導人員的數量

(Applause)

(掌聲)

Education is freedom work.

教育是捍衛自由的工作

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

無論我們投身的理由為何 我們都要成為自由的鬥士

The good news is that there are schools

好消息是，有一些學校

that are actively working to establish themselves

努力讓自己成為

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

讓女孩感受到神聖與被愛的地方

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

俄亥俄州的哥倫布市女子預科學校為例

They became an example the moment their principal declared

校長宣布不會因態度不好而懲罰女孩後

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

這所學校成了一個典範

In addition to building --

除了建立

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

實質上，是建立了一個強大的連續體

of alternatives to suspension, expulsion and arrest.

建立了停學、開除和逮捕的替代方案

In addition to establishing a restorative justice program,

除了建立恢復式正義的方案

they improved their student and teacher relationships

他們也改善老師與學生的關係

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

確保每個女孩遭遇危機時

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

校園裡至少有一位大人可尋求幫助

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

他們在走廊與教室之間弄了許多空間

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

如果她們需要喘口氣時用

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

亦也設立了諮詢方案，給女孩機會

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

在每天開始之前，提升自我價值感

communication skills and goal setting.

增進溝通的技巧與設定目標

At this school,

在這所學校

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

他們設法回應女孩不幸的童年經驗

rather than ignore them.

而非忽視

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

將女孩們拉得更靠近，而非推開她們

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

因此，逃學與停學的比例大幅改善

and girls are arriving at school increasingly ready to learn

更多到了學校的女孩準備好學習

because they know the teachers there care about them.

因為她們知道老師在乎她們

That matters.

這很重要

Schools that integrate the arts and sports into their curriculum

整合藝術與運動進課程中的學校

or that are building out tranformative programming,

或者建立轉型方案的學校

such as restorative justice, mindfulness and meditation,

如修復式正義、正念與冥想

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

都提供女孩與他人修復關係的機會

but also with themselves.

以及她們與自己的關係

Responding to the lived, complex and historical trauma

要回應這些學生所面對的

that our students face

複雜的創傷經驗

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

需要我們這些關心孩子及青少年的人

to build relationships, learning materials,

去建立關係、學習素材

human and financial resources and other tools

人力與經濟資源，以及其他工具

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

讓孩子們有機會療傷，然後學習

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

學校應該要能回應最脆弱的女孩

as essential to the creation of a positive school culture.

這對創造正向的學校文化很重要

Our ability to see her promise should be at its sharpest

我們應該最敏感地察覺到她們的潛能

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

在她陷入貧困和藥物上癮的境地時

when she's reeling from having been sex-trafficked

當她被作為性奴販賣而蹣跚時

or survived other forms of violence;

或曾經歷了其他形式的暴力而倖存

when she's at her loudest,

在她最張狂的時候

or her quietest.

或最沉默的時候

We should be able to support her intellectual

我們應該要能在精神層面

and social-emotional well-being

及社會情緒方面幫助她

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

無論她的裙子是否及膝或更短

It might seem like a tall order in a world

這聽起來似艱鉅的任務

在根深蒂固於恐懼政治的世界

so deeply entrenched in the politics of fear

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

想像學校為女孩康復和成長之地

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

但我們要夠勇敢，將此成為我們的目標

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

如果我們將教育視為捍衛自由的工作

we can shift educational conditions

我們可以改變教育環境

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

不會再有女孩，即便是最脆弱的一群

will get pushed out of school.

也不會被逐出學校

And that's a win for all of us.

這對我們所有人都是一場勝利

Thank you.

謝謝

(Applause)

(掌聲)