In 2017, Georgetown University’s Law Center published a groundbreaking report entitled Girlhood Interrupted that analyzed how the “adultification” of young Black girls has contributed to further racial inequities in schools through violent discipline practices which ultimately culminate in unsympathetic and cruel treatment within the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Thus, my specific research will examine how state consented violence against young Black girls is perpetuated through American educational institutions. To aid me in navigating this complex topic I will utilize a Black Feminist framework, Object Relations Theory, and The Three Pillars of Anglo American Thought. Through my research I anticipate confirming that due to the historical hyper-sexualization of the Black girl body, violent racial and gendered discipline practices are continuously operating in the lives of Black girls further allowing for their institutional objectification to violence. In terms of future analysis in the field of Girls Studies, my research seeks to express the dire importance of addressing the trauma faced by Black girls as a result of the abuse inflicted by educational institutions. Lastly, my research proposes possible solutions through the use of social media resistance movements such as #BlackGirlMagic and #BlackGirlsRock.
