Scholars have consistently, insistently, and persistently demonstrated how the intersection of race and gender negatively affect black girls’ schooling experiences. Recently, researchers at Georgetown University’s law school found that adults view black girls as “less innocent” and “aggressively feminine” in comparison to white girls of the same age. Hence, this week’s blog begs the question,
“We’re trying to change the master narrative around black girls being loud, mean, promiscuous, and defiant,” says Halyard. “We want to flip that question of, ‘What is wrong with you?’ to ‘What has happened to you?’ and provide the platform for black girls to speak with their own voices.” Likewise, Georgetown Law’s Center on Poverty
During my legal career, I’ve served as a public defender and private defense lawyer. I’ve represented clients in criminal matters including murders, rapes, high volume drug cases, sex crimes, and federal offenses. What I’m going to lay out here may be disheartening, but one of the most important aspects in any trial is believability. The
A growing number of individuals have expressed support for U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ harmful Title IX proposed rules on sexual harassment, including sexual assault, in schools by pitting the rights of sexual assault survivors against efforts to further racial justice. By doing this, these individuals—often white, self-identified feminists or conservative men—erase the experiences
A highly-cited paper from the Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality, Human Rights Project for Girls and Ms. Foundation for Women titled “The Sexual Abuse to Prison Pipeline,” found “that in a perverse twist of justice, many girls who experience sexual abuse are routed into the juvenile justice system because of their victimization.” Authors
For many who watched the six-part documentary “Surviving R. Kelly,” hearing directly from several women who described sexual abuse at the hands of the R&B star prompted a troubling question: Has Kelly remained popular and largely not faced criminal consequences because his accusers are black? Rebecca Epstein, a researcher at Georgetown University, thinks so. She
In October 2018, the Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality’s Initiative on Gender Justice and Opportunity and Rights4Girls published a compilation of girls’ visual and written work about their experiences with the juvenile justice system. This project turned a lens toward the girls, providing space for them to speak for themselves and allowing their
A 2017 study from Georgetown Law (Girlhood Interrupted: The Erasure of Black Girls’ Childhood) reports that adults view black girls as less innocent and more adult-like than their white peers, especially in the age range of 5–14 (see graph). “We thought we might see two parallel lines and then an increase for black girls in
The voices of Flint girls are included in a new nationwide release by the Center on Poverty and Inequality at Georgetown University’s renowned Law Center. Published Oct. 25, “I am the Voice: Girls’ Reflections from Inside the Justice System” is a compilation of stories and feelings of girls from across the country. HerStory: Unlocked —
The need for long-term and specialized care to treat child sex-trafficking victims is increasing. For decades, rescued children wound up being arrested and thrown into the juvenile justice system. But that’s changed in recent years, as states have moved to steer victims toward treatment. Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia have eliminated criminal liability