Suspended Animation: A Legal Perspective of School Discipline and African American Learners in the Shadows of Brown

Authors

Brenda L. Townsend Walker, University of South Florida St. PetersburgFollow

SelectedWorks Author Profiles:

Brenda L. Townsend Walker

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2014

ISSN

00222984 (print) 21676437 (online)

Abstract

The Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court’s unanimous decision (1954) held promise for many African American children and youth. Sixty years after Brown, racial disparities in school discipline have garnered national attention in the professional literature. This article extends the post-Brown discourse beyond the achievement gap to the discipline gap, or the disparate disciplinary practices that impact African American learners in Prekindergarten to 12th grade settings. After Brown’s legal theories are advanced, the discussion focuses on school discipline and the impact of zero tolerance policies on African American learners. Lastly, interdisciplinary recommendations are proffered for educators, policymakers, juvenile justice, families, community members, and other agency personnel.

Publisher

The Journal of Negro Education

Recommended Citation

Brenda L. Townsend Walker. (2014). Suspended Animation: A Legal Perspective of School Discipline and African American Learners in the Shadows of Brown. The Journal of Negro Education, 83(3), 338-351. doi:10.7709/jnegroeducation.83.3.0338