Hello Bloggers! It is my pleasure to say welcome to my final blog post. Today I will be sharing my final thoughts on the book! This book, Pushout, has changed my views on so many different topics that are going on in the world today.
As you can see this post will be regarding my final thoughts on the book Pushout as well as some thoughts on the past section of the book I have read. This section of the book that I read was definitely one of my favorites sections because we are able to see Monique Morris’s thoughts on the issues overall and she is able to wrap up her arguments and book. Overall, this book has been a real eye-opener for me, and I am sad to see that book has come to an end. There have been so many different topics that were brought up in the book that have really shown me what our society can be like outside of this town we live in. I have to say that I feel as if I am very lucky to grow up in a small town, as we do live in a “bubble”. I greatly appreciate that my parents are able to support my brothers and I, as well as treat us to things that most kids in other cities do not have the opportunity for. There are many things that I have learned that I do not take for granted anymore, as many other kids outside of my town do not experience the same things, specifically education and overall equality.
Our society needs to allow black girls to be comfortable wherever they would like to be or go. There are places where it states we are giving these young black girls the same opportunities, but it is what happens behind the scenes, beyond the paper copy of what is happening. There is still the stigma that people are putting out on black people, especially girls, where there becomes implicit bias and not allowing for true inequality. The question that I thought about when reading the text, and is addressed in the last section of the book, is “how are you able to stop/prevent the criminalization of black girls in schools?
There will always be different things that we are able to work on as human beings, and there will always be more that we can do. Overall, I think that one thing in our society, and in all communities, is your implicit bias. All people have implicit biases in some way, it is based on the way we grow up in my perspective. When you grow up, each person is taught a different way and has different values and experiences. There is not one person who will have the same biases as another individual. In the book Pushout, Monique Morris finds that there is a higher target on the young black girls in the classroom, and a high level of bias. When one was to “ask a question”(42) or “taking up air and space”(42) as one teacher said, are terms used towards these young females. Each story throughout the book focused on how these black girls were being accused of causing more trouble than what they were intending to do. People need to find their implicit biases and confront them directly. By becoming more aware of your implicit biases, you begin to eliminate them together.
One of the most recent ways you can stop the criminalization of these black girls in school is by doing things around your community or state you live in, rise up with these girls and show you are there for them. In the book, there were many stories where the girls felt as if they would be more interested in staying in school if there was someone who was there for them, someone who was more interested in their personal life. There was often the question raised in the book “A lot of these girls don't think education is important, or why, like 'What is an education going to do for me” (Pushout, 111). Many times, these girls feel as if they are not cared for, and not thought about it. You can join more recent movements like the Black Lives Matter (BLM) or the Say Her Name. There might be a question that you are not raising direct awareness about the issue, but you are starting to raise the awareness, and get people’s attention. Each movement shares a message, lots share common messages that can be spread around the world. To stop the criminalization of black girls, you can get people’s attention, raise your voice for the girls who cannot. There will be people out there who do not want to listen or cannot accept the message right now, “they do not have the capacity to fully redistribute power and eradicate racial inequity. There is only one practice that can do that. Love.” (194). Monique Morris shares that at the end of the book, all one needs in life is love. When there is love, there is equality, and when there is equality, there is happiness.
"There are no throwaway children. We can, and must, do better" (179).
As you get into the last chapter of the book, Monique Morris touches on the real meaning of respect. She explains that people and teachers need to start looking beyond their first glimpse of the student. “You cannot judge a book by its cover” as many people say around the world. No one should be judged by the way they dress, their race, religion, language, etc. I have to strongly agree with Morris, as no one in this world should be just by first glance, there is more to a person than an outside look.
Well, overall I have enjoyed this book greatly. I am glad to say it has taught me a lot about topics I haven't even touched upon before this book. There is mention of many different discriminative topics or “touchy” subjects, which this book took a deeper dive into. I have not really read a book about race before this one, so I was interested to read it. Leaving this book, I highly recommend reading it, as it is an eye-opener on stereotypes, sexual assault, prostitution, trafficking, poverty, and more. In the future, I hope to do all I can to raise awareness and support the people who are in need. There are many things that people in this world take for granted that we need to stop and think about.
Thank you for reading my final blog post!!
Works Cited
Morris, Monique W., et al. Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools. Paperback edition ed., New York, New Press, 2018.
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