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From Kindergarten to 12th Grade, Black Students Are Punished More Often UC Berkeley Researcher Says

By looking across many types of punishment, student subpopulations, measures of disparity, and comparison groups, the authors arrive at the conclusion that, as the article title states, “No matter how you slice it, Black students are punished more.” They also find that while disparities are widespread, they are larger in some contexts than one might expect.

Published

2 weeks ago

December 6, 2024

Oakland Post

Even one suspension can lead to long-range consequences like dropping out of school, says Sean Darling-Hammond, a UC Berkeley assistant professor of Community Health Science. Photo courtesy UC Berkley News.

UC Berkeley News
Special to The Post

Every year, millions of students are suspended, expelled, and punished.

The American Academy of Pediatricians recently warned that these exclusionary punishments can be incredibly harmful. But are students of certain backgrounds experiencing the harms of exclusion more often?

In a paper published on Nov. 25 in “American Educational Research Association Open,” Sean Darling-Hammond, a UC Berkeley assistant professor in Community Health Science, and Eric Ho, a statistician at the U.S. Department of Education, lay out the case that Black students across the country in K-12 education are experiencing scholastic punishment far more often than their peers.

The authors wrote, “Relative to white students, Black students were 3.6 times more likely to have been suspended out of school, 2.5 times more likely to have been suspended in school, 3.4 times more likely to have been expelled, 2.4 times more likely to have been referred to law enforcement, 2.9 times more likely to have experienced a school-based arrest, and 2.3 times more likely to have been corporally punished.”

While the American Academy of Pediatricians has called scholastic punishment developmentally inappropriate for young people, Darling-Hammond and Ho found that “[d]isparities emerged as early as preschool, where Black students were 2.8 times more likely to have been suspended out of school and 2.4 times more likely to have been expelled.”

The authors explored many school contexts, and found that while disparities emerged in traditional, charter, and alternative schools, “[p]articularly jarring disparities emerged in alternative schools, where Black students were 15.3 times more likely to have experienced corporal punishment.”

Darling-Hammond and Ho also noted that Black students in wealthier schools faced some of the most disparate experiences. In schools where less than 25% of students received free or reduced-price lunches, Black students were 5.3 times more likely to be suspended and 7.8 times more likely to be expelled.

In an interview, Darling-Hammond pointed out that using the most recent federal data revealed that disparities have sustained state and district policies designed to reduce them. He also noted that the federal guidelines designed to protect students from racially biased disciplinary practices were rescinded in 2018, removing an important guard rail.

“We now have decades of social science research documenting the educational and mental health harms of exposure to exclusionary discipline,” Darling-Hammond said, adding that corporal punishment—which is still legal in 22 states—is incredibly damaging for students.

“We know that students who are suspended even one time are many times more likely to drop out of school, and many times more likely to end up in juvenile or adult incarceration,” he said.

“When students are disciplined, they behave worse. It creates a climate where students are feeling less safe and less connected, which doesn’t benefit anyone.”

For Darling-Hammond, who is the father of two Black sons, seeing sweeping disparities was painful.

“The hardest part of this research is having to face the reality that Black youth are having a qualitatively different experience across the board. Preschool students and elementary school students are so developmentally vulnerable and are at a stage where the No. 1 thing that their nervous system needs is acceptance, inclusion, and love,” he said. “So, to see such stark disparities in exclusion and punishment at that stage is truly heart-wrenching.”

However, Darling-Hammond remains hopeful that disparities are not intractable. “We concluded our article by lifting up research about how to combat these disparities. And we did that intentionally. The point wasn’t to just say that these disparities are a stable facet of our educational system. It was to say, yes, they persist. So, let’s work together to combat them.”

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‘Donald Trump Is Not a God:’ Rep. Bennie Thompson Blasts Trump’s Call to Jail Him

“Donald Trump is not a god,” U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., told The Grio during a recent interview, reacting to Trump’s unsupported claims that the congressman, along with other committee members like vice chair and former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, destroyed evidence throughout the investigation.

Published

11 minutes ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Congressman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said he not intimidated by President-elect Donald Trump, who, during an interview on “Meet the Press,” called for the congressman to be jailed for his role as chairman of the special congressional committee investigating Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, mob attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“Donald Trump is not a god,” Thompson told The Grio during a recent interview, reacting to Trump’s unsupported claims that the congressman, along with other committee members like vice chair and former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, destroyed evidence throughout the investigation.

“He can’t prove it, nor has there been any other proof offered, which tells me that he really doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” said the 76-year-old lawmaker, who maintained that he and the bipartisan Jan. 6 Select Committee – which referred Trump for criminal prosecution – were exercising their constitutional and legislative duties.

“When someone disagrees with you, that doesn’t make it illegal; that doesn’t even make it wrong,” Thompson said, “The greatness of this country is that everyone can have their own opinion about any subject, and so for an incoming president who disagrees with the work of Congress to say ‘because I disagree, I want them jailed,’ is absolutely unbelievable.”

When asked by The Grio if he is concerned about his physical safety amid continued public ridicule from Trump, whose supporters have already proven to be violent, Thompson said, “I think every member of Congress here has to have some degree of concern, because you just never know.”

This story is based on a report from The Grio.

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City of Oakland Celebrates Reopening of Main Library

“Libraries are such critical facilities for all Oaklanders, whether it’s children coming to story-time, adults reading the newspapers or borrowing the latest novels, and people engaging with a range of services and programs that the library hosts,” said Council President and District 2 Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas. “Such library services and programs are only possible when the facility’s electricity, heating, roof, and lighting are fixed and running efficiently. I’m proud to join this re-opening of our Main Public Library.”

Published

39 minutes ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Left to Right- Jamie Turbak, Director of Library Services, LaTonda Simmons, Assistant City Administrator, Nikki Bas, President Oakland City Council, Shen Thao, Mayor of Oakland, Carroll Fife, Oakland City Councilmember District 3, Harold Duffey, Assistant City Administrator, Sean Maher, Projects Coordinator. Photo by Kevin Hicks.

The branch had been closed since May for critical infrastructure upgrades

Special to the Post

The City of Oakland leadership and community partners gathered to celebrate the reopening of the Main Library after completion of critical infrastructure upgrades to enhance the library’s facilities and provide a better experience for patrons.

Renovations include new roof installation, skylight repair, critical electrical system upgrades, new boiler control system installation, auditorium heating and cooling system installation, and improvements to lighting, flooring and ceilings throughout the building.

“This is truly something to celebrate, the reopening of our wonderful Main Library! I congratulate the staff and our partners for this important project to make the Main Library a more comfortable place for everyone for years to come, said Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. “Thank you to Oakland voters and the California State Library for making these crucial improvements possible.”

“Public libraries are a wonderful resource for our residents, offering a safe space for learning and being,” said District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife. “It is critical to improve and modernize our libraries so more members of our community can utilize and enjoy them. I’m excited that the necessary renovations to the Main Library have been completed successfully and thank everyone involved, particularly the City team, who helped secured the necessary grant funds for this work.”

“I am proud of the City staff and project partners who kept this important project on schedule and under budget,” said Assistant City Administrator G. Harold Duffey. “The library is an incredibly important resource for our community members, and this project is an investment into the library’s future.”

“December 2nd was a momentous occasion for Oakland Public Library as we proudly reopened the doors of the Main Library following extensive infrastructure repairs,” said Director of Library Services Jamie Turbak. “Closing the Main Library for six months was no easy decision, as it serves as the central hub for our library system and is truly the heart of Oakland. Yet, this renovation was essential, representing more than just physical upgrades—it reflects our ongoing commitment to creating a safe, welcoming space for everyone.”

The City Administrator Jestin Johnson also attended the press conference and signalled his support for the completion of the record-setting completion of the renovations. Gay Plair Cobb, a newly appointed Library Commissioner said the Library represents the soul and brains of our community.

The Oakland Public Library secured funding for these crititcal repairs through a variety of sources. The California State Library’s Building Forward Library Facilities Improvement Program awarded the Main Branch $4.2 million. To comply with the grant terms, the City of Oakland provided matching funds through Measures KK, as approved by the Oakland City Council in October 2023.

The Main Library will host an Open House to celebrate the reopening on February 22, 2025, 10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

About the Oakland Public Library

The Oakland Public Library is a part of the City of Oakland in California and has been in existence since 1878. Locations include 16 neighborhood branches, a Main Library, a Second Start Adult Literacy Program, the Oakland Tool Lending Library, and the African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO). The Oakland Public Library empowers all people to explore, connect, and grow. Oaklandlibrary.org

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Biden’s Legacy Secured with Record-Setting Black Judicial Appointments

His record surpasses previous efforts by his predecessors. President Jimmy Carter appointed 37 Black judges, including seven Black women. In stark contrast, Donald Trump’s first term resulted in only two Black women appointed out of 234 lifetime judicial nominations. The White House said Biden’s efforts show a broader commitment to racial equity and justice.

Published

1 hour ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

iStockphoto.

By Stacy M. Brown
WI Senior Writer

President Joe Biden’s commitment to diversifying the federal judiciary has culminated in a historic achievement: appointing 40 Black women to lifetime judgeships, the most of any president in U.S. history.

Biden has appointed 62 Black judges, cementing his presidency as one focused on promoting equity and representation on the federal bench.

The White House said Biden’s efforts show a broader commitment to racial equity and justice.

Meanwhile, Trump has vowed to dismantle key civil rights protections, including the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

“Having the Black woman’s experience on the federal bench is extremely important because there is a different kind of voice that can come from the Black female from the bench,” Delores Jones-Brown, professor emeritus at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told reporters.

Lena Zwarensteyn of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights told reporters that these district court judges are often the first and sometimes the final arbiters in cases affecting healthcare access, education equity, fair hiring practices, and voting rights.

“Those decisions are often the very final decisions because very few cases actually get heard by the U.S. Supreme Court,” Zwarensteyn explained.

Biden’s nomination of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court further reflects his commitment to judicial diversity. Jackson became the first Black woman to serve on the nation’s highest court.

Patrick McNeil, spokesperson for the Leadership Conference, pointed out that over half of Biden’s Black female judicial appointees have backgrounds as civil rights attorneys and public defenders, experience advocates consider essential for a balanced judiciary.

Meanwhile, Congress remains divided over the expansion of federal judgeships. Legislation to add 66 new judgeships—approved unanimously by the Senate in August—stalled in the GOP-controlled House until after the election. House Republicans proposed distributing the new judgeships over the next decade, giving three administrations a say in appointments. President Biden, however, signaled he would veto the bill if it reached his desk.

Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., argued the delay was a strategic move to benefit Trump’s potential return to office. “Donald Trump has made clear that he intends to expand the power of the presidency and giving him 25 new judges to appoint gives him one more tool at his disposal,” Nadler said.