TEXTUAL ANALYSIS: PUSHOUT Page 1
Textual Analysis: Pushout, The Criminalization of Black Girls in School
Dulce Ocampo
Race, Class, Gender And The School-to-Prison Pipeline
St. Catherine University
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Textual Analysis: Pushout, The Criminalization of Black Girls in School
Introduction
The book Pushout, The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools by Monique
W. Morris examines the lives of young Black girls in particular, in the American
context. For most of history, the lives of Black girls and women have been judged,
misunderstood, and frowned upon. This phenomenon of dehumanizing and
devaluing these girls includes teachers, peers, administrations, and the justice
systems. “The book powerfully addresses pushout, which is the structural racism
and the cultural barriers that push Black girls out of the classroom and to the outer
brinks of society ”(Fellow, K. P. (2016, November 15).). The institutions that are
supposed to be helping them build a better future are the same systems that are
tearing them down and stopping them from flourishing. Through this book, Morris
can validate the stereotypes, obstacles, stigmas, and despair Black girls in America
go through every day. However, Morris is also able to express the way these girls
have found ways to demonstrate remarkable dignity in their lives and beyond all the
hardships. In this paper I will explore the context of Pushout and how it relates to
my experiences, how Black girls are uncared for in and pushout of our society, and
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how Morris can capture the thoughts and realities of the Black girl experience in
America.
Text to Self
Before reading Pushout, I had very little context on the topic of Black girls, and
how they are experiencing much more trauma and pain, then the public could even
envision. What I enjoyed about this text is that the author was able to produce not
only the real perspective of these girls but the underlying reasons why things are
the way they are. The first chapter of the book was the one that resonated the most
with me. It opens up to the foundation that creates the negative thoughts and
stigmas we have towards Black girls, and it gave purpose to why it is important to
