Black People vs. Educational Culprits Engaged in Our Systemic Mass Incarceration in the United States of America

ABSTRACT

Eight culprits in the systematic mass incarceration of black people are interrogated in this fictitious courtroom proceeding. Each defendant is somehow involved in the ecosystem of schooling that ruins the lives of millions of black students and their families via racist discipline policies and practices. Accountability for the insufficient preparation of prospective teachers and school leaders, as well as the inadequacy of professional development experiences for educators who currently work in schools across the United States, are emphasized in questions posed to defendants in this trial. Some others who contribute to and sustain the school-to-prison pipeline are implicated in the closing argument.

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

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Shaun R. Harper

Shaun R. Harper is the Clifford and Betty Allen Professor in the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. He also is founder and executive director of the USC Race and Equity Center. Dr Harper served as the 2020–21 American Educational Research Association president and the 2016–17 Association for the Study of Higher Education president. He was inducted into the National Academy of Education in 2021.