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How Should Schools Respond to Discipline Disparities Affecting Black Girls?

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,

On The Criminal Justice System And Its Biases Against Black Women And Girls

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

What ‘Surviving R. Kelly’ tells us about race and sexual abuse

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

Reclaiming Black Girlhood with Hand Games

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

How Black Girls Aren’t Presumed to Be Innocent

Researchers built in part on a 2014 report that concluded black boys are wrongly perceived as older than their actual age and are more likely to be viewed as guilty when they are suspected of a crime. The Georgetown study sought to determine whether there’s a similar effect for black girls—whether adults identify them as

The ‘Adultification’ of Black Girls: Less Protection, More Discipline

Adults think that black girls are less innocent, less in need of protection and nurturing, and seem older than similarly aged white girls, which could lead to stiffer punishments in school, a new report said Tuesday. The report entitled, Girlhood Interrupted: The Erasure of Black Girls’ Childhood, also said American adults think black girls know

Study: Black girls viewed as ‘less innocent’ than white girls

Adults view young black girls as less innocent than white girls of the same age, a new study has found, indicating that children’s race may affect how their actions are perceived. The report from Georgetown University law school’s Center on Poverty and Inequality, released Tuesday, found that black girls, particularly those age 5 to 14,

Girls suffer childhood trauma more. New research shows how yoga can help heal them.

A new report by the Center on Poverty and Inequality at Georgetown Law School shows that yoga programs can be particularly effective at helping girls who are incarcerated cope with the effects of trauma that many have experienced. Research shows yoga and mindfulness can promote healthier relationships, increase concentration, and improve self esteem and physical