Girls and young women have been completely lost in the mass incarceration and criminalization conversation. It’s long past time that we address the policies that lead to the disproportionate incarceration of girls and young women of color.
That’s why I — in partnership with my sisters in service, Reps. Ilhan Omar and Bonnie Watson Coleman — just introduced the Ending PUSHOUT Act, to dismantle the cycle of criminalization and trauma that forces girls and young women of color out of school and into the criminal INjustice system.
Across the country, Black girls are seven times more likely to be suspended and four times more likely to be arrested at school than white girls. Our girls aren’t seen as children — they are systematically being robbed of their childhood and criminalized for "distracting" hair styles or "provocative" clothing.
So often, Black women and girls are told that our hair is distracting, that our bodies are inappropriate or that we have bad attitudes. In fact, across the country, we are most likely to be criminalized at literally every stage of life.
School should not be a place that perpetuates this trauma. Instead, we need trauma-informed training and educators, school nurses, social workers, and therapists who ask a child what happened to them, instead of what’s wrong with them.
This new legislation will dismantle the policies that lead to pushout, will center the experiences of girls and young women of color, and will reinvest in making our schools safe, nurturing spaces for all students.
Together, we can dismantle codified racism and sexism, and disrupt cycles of violence and trauma.
Thank you for fighting with me for justice.
In solidarity,
Ayanna Pressley
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