This women’s history month, let’s raise awareness about issues that impact Black women in the United States.
I. According to a study published by Research in Action, more than 60,000 Black women and girls are missing in the U.S. Black women are also twice as likely to be victims of homicide. Listen to the stories of their family’s experiences with lack of support from law enforcement and lack of media attention.
II. Analysis of national surveys conducted by U.S. Government Accountability Office found that Black girls faced more and harsher forms of discipline than their White counterparts. Their analysis of national surveys also found that Black girls reported feeling less safe and less connected to their schools than other groups of girls. (School connectedness has been linked to positive educational and other outcomes.)
III. The 2020 study conducted by the Center for Women in Law and the NALP Foundation considered the perspectives of 4,000 students across 46 law schools. They found that women of color were less satisfied with their law school experiences than their white cohorts, and rated race relations at their schools less positively than even their male peers of color.
***CALL TO ACTION***
Your AFT social justice committee recommends members who care about issues of Black women to volunteer and engage in local organizations that fight for Black women’s rights:
North County African American Women’s Association
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
