A+ Schools, The Education Law Project, PUMP, Pitt University Center for Urban Education, Carlow University Department of Justice Studies, The Canevin Center for Educational Transformation & Social Justice, and Gwen’s Girls hosted a powerful evening that provoked thought, profound discussion, and hope surrounding the criminalization of young Black girls in American society at the August Wilson Center on March 9.

Monique Morris, scholar and author of Pushout: the Criminalization of Black Girls, discussed her new book. She presented striking data and anecdotes about the criminalization of young Black and Brown girls and how we can develop a safe society for all through different approaches to discipline. Students from A+ Schools’ TeenBloc program helped lend their voices at the beginning of the event, and the Education Law Center provided some local context about the ways in which school pushout is impacting black girls in our region. Co-constructing safe spaces for youth and adults has lead to successful outcomes in other parts of the country.

Listen to Dr. Morris’ interview with WESA’s Essential Pittsburgh or read the article in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review.