Racial and Social Justice Work in an Educationally Indebted Community

Abstract

The cradle-to-prison nexus (CTPN) refers to students from Educationally Indebted Communities (e.g., students of color that are also living below the poverty line), or EICs, are disciplined more frequently and severely than other students. While studies suggest disciplinary reform can lower the overall rate of suspension at a particular school or school district, whether such reform can also reduce the racial discipline gap is debated. In my work, I investigate the racial discipline gap by exploring inside-of-school and outside-of-school factors that contribute to the cradle-to-prison nexus in a predominantly Black community that is known for having one of the highest incarceration rates in the nation. Specifically, I interviewed 15 community members including individuals, organizations, and institutions identified as community assets working to disrupt and dismantle the cradle-to-prison nexus. In addition to these interviews, I also analyzed data from local newspaper articles, observed community events, and reviewed historical artifacts as a means of triangulating the study findings. In Paper One, I used critical discourse analysis to examine how three major federal education laws attempted to address the matter of equitable school discipline, if at all. In Paper Two, I investigated how members of an EIC conceptualize opportunity gaps that contribute to the CTPN in their community. In Paper Three, I explore assets within the EIC that are being used or could be used to reduce racial discipline and incarceration gaps. In sum, research findings show that changes in policy alone cannot disrupt and dismantle the cradle-to-prison nexus. Rather, policy is better suited as a tool to support and empower members of EICs who have the knowledge, skills, and disposition to resolve their own community issues.