Journalists, parents, and advocates from around the country are reporting a rise in school suspensions, expulsions, and other disciplinary actions— primarily due to social isolation, poor mental health, and other traumas induced by the pandemic. Black children, girls, in particular, are disproportionately disciplined, often for minor infractions such as “talking back.” It’s time to stop treating Black children like criminals in school.

Opening Remarks

• Denise Forte, Interim CEO, The Education Trust
• Catherine Lhamon, Assistant Secretary, Office for Civil Rights at the US Department of Education,
• Rashad Robinson, President of Color Of Change
• Lisa Cylar Barrett, Director of Policy, NAACP Legal Defense Fund

Main Discussion

Erica L. Green, The New York Times’ federal education correspondent who wrote, A Battle for the Souls of Black Girls;

Kristin Henning, Blume Professor of Law and Director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic and Initiative at Georgetown Law, and author of The Rage of Innocence: How America Criminalizes Black Youth