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Inside:
Volume 47, Number 39
W I N S TO N - S A L E M , N . C .
THURSDAY, July 29, 2021
Liberation Education, Part 1:
Students ‘push back’ against factors that contribute to school-to-prison pipeline BY TEVIN STINSON THE CHRONICLE
In recognition of Freedom School’s National Day of Social Action, students from the Lit City Freedom School held a rally. students each year. “During the 20152016 school year alone, there were over 61,000 school arrests and 230,000 referrals to law enforcement, which were largely over-represented by students with disabilities, Black students, and Indigenous students,” Bryson said. “The prioritization of police over mental health professionals in schools often leads to the criminalization of typical adolescent behavior and fuels the school-to-prison pipeline.”
During the rally students spoke out against the factors that contribute to the schoolto-prison pipeline. Data shows that in Win- cafeteria? Clean school ciplined and pushed out ston-Salem/Forsyth Coun- grounds? “This is unacceptof the classroom at rates ty schools, Black students are five times more likely able, so today we’re here higher than white students. to be suspended than white to push back. … We are students. young but we are mighty,” “Not only do we want Moore shouted. to bring awareness to this Bryson Barr said deissue, we want change,” spite research and people said Jaylen Moore while across the country shedaddressing the crowd dur- ding light on the issue, ing the rally. “We all have Black children continue stories about being written to be criminalized at an up and disciplined. We’re alarming rate. He mennot saying we’re perfect, tioned that the use of law but neither are youth who enforcement in schools don’t look like us. Are instead of mental health they being sent to ISS or professionals has led to the OSS? Made to clean the criminalization of more
Since 1995, the Children’s Defense Fund’s (CDF) Freedom School, a six-week literacy-rich summer program has helped build strong, literate children and curb summer learning loss. While much has remained the same with the overall purpose and theme of Freedom Schools, at a time where the lack of African American history courses and Critical Race Theory dominate talks on education, now more than ever Freedom Schools are be-
Photos by Tevin Stinson
ing used as a platform to empower Black students in a way that may be missing in the normal classroom setting, a term organizers at the Lit City Freedom School here in WinstonSalem have coined as “liberation education.” This is part one of a two-part series titled “Liberation Education” that will explore how and why Freedom Schools like Lit City are more important now than ever.
Equipped with colorful signs, more than two dozen students participated in the rally last week hosted by Lit City Freedom School.
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The Pushback In recognition of Freedom School’s National Day of Social Action, students from the Lit City Freedom School did their part to make sure their voices were heard. Equipped with colorful signs and several different chants calling for justice, students held a rally to speak out against factors that contribute the “school-to-prison” pipeline. Each year Freedom Schools choose a new topic to advocate for on National Day of Social Action and this year’s theme was “youth justice.” During the rally held in the parking lot of Zion Memorial Missionary Baptist Church where the Lit City Freedom School is being held, students talked about how Black youth are dis-