Challenger Research Journal

Black students in the public school system are facing challenges like racism, misogyny, toxic masculinity, and dehumanization. These issues are systematically upheld as barriers between Black folks and their educational attainment. This research project aims to examine and compare public school data for both California and San Diego county in regards to suspensions, expulsions, and felony arrests stratified by race to highlight the systematic aspect of these events. Keeping in mind the long-standing racist and misogynistic oppression that Black students have experienced in public schools, this research hopes to adequately address the similar but different experiences of Black students based on their gender expression and skin color through the aforementioned quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis of relevant testimonios. Testimonios have been generated for this project, both formally and informally, and were given by family members and community members who chose to share their educational experiences. Investigating this question is one small step towards a future of securing school practices and classroom spaces aligned with the intention of prioritizing the humanity, culture, and life experiences of Black students.