Post #3: Personal Thoughts
Welcome back once again readers! I'm happy to have you here to share my thoughts as I recount the information in the last forty pages of my book Pushout by Monique Morris. Today, I am especially passionate in the topic that I will be addressing: sex trafficking. As a woman myself, this issue is extremely loaded for me. So, I won't hesitate any longer, let's dive right in!
Chapter 3, titled "Jezebel in the Classroom," focused mainly on the sex trafficking of young girls and the conflict between their "work" and getting an education. Many girls don't find the appeal of getting an education when they can get immediate compensation through sex work. Morris uncovered that her "conversations with other girls who were victims of sex trafficking revealed that the primary motivating factor for being in the sex industry was the need for money" (Morris 99).
This issue is extremely relevant in terms of the cycle of poverty a multitude of black girls face. They don't see themselves as independent young women, they see themselves for what they have to offer - their bodies. Diamond, a young girl in California, recalled her time as a sex worker, saying, "You could still go to school for like a couple of months, you could still get your education, if he lets you" (Morris 97). The part of this sentence that really hits home is when she says "if he lets you." This power that an older man weilds over young black girls, selling them into prositiution and hindering their education, makes me physically sick to my stomach.
(Camera)
From a very young age, I was taught that I had complete control over my own body. No one else had the right to force me to do anything that I didn't want regarding my body. This is far from reality for many black girls who view themself as nothing more than a body for a man's pleasure. They rely on working the streets in order to lift themselves out of poverty, no matter the expense on their mental health. "Diamond, like other girls who come from poverty, understood that education is a tool for economic success, but she was also feeling pressured to find a way out of poverty sooner rather than later..." (Morris 99). The fact that black girls feel so pushed into a corner than they have to sell their bodies in order to alleviate themselves from poverty is sickening.
Personally, I feel guilty about the subject matter. I feel guilty that I have never had to make the choice between prostitution or an education. Girls who find themselves in sex work often never finish their schooling, spending their time on the streets instead. "For many girls who were actively 'on the street,' school stopped being a priority, especially if they had an older man reinforcing the idea that her greatest attribute was her sexuality" (Morris 98). The fact that girls are forced to give up their education in order to fund themselves is so deeply saddening. In a way, I feel ashamed that these decisions have never weighed upon me, as I can only imagine the pressure black girls feel from cultural norms and society when they are eventually pushed into sex trafficking.
(Hardy)
I struggle to comprehend that education is not a certainty for everyone. I come from a home that prioritizes education, and I feel fortunate about this fact. But equal opportunities regarding education is only a fantasy. Black girls feel pushed out of schools and into sex work because they feel as though their education is not made a priority by teachers and parents. Jennifer, a special education student, remarked, "Make them care about their education... cause a lot of these girls don't think education is important, or why, like 'What is an education going to do for me?'" (Morris 111). Instead of seeing the value of education, black girls are taught that their most value attribute is their bodies.
In conclusion, something needs to change. Young black girls should not be forced into sex trafficking at the expense of their education. This should not have to be their reality. Black girls need to learn about the purpose of education and how value it can be to them. They need to see themselves as something more than their body. Just because of their gender or race does not mean they are any less deserving. Education is a right, not a privilege.
Works Cited
Camera, Lauren. "Black Girls Are Twice as Likely to Be Suspended, In Every State." US News, US News and World Report, 9 May 2017, www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2017-05-09/black-girls-are-twice-as-likely-to-be-suspended-in-every-state. Accessed 18 Mar. 2021.
Hardy, Jasmine. "Man Charged With Trafficking Nearly 700 Black Girls And Purposefully Infecting Them With HIV." Femestella, 21 Oct. 2019, www.femestella.com/man-charged-sex-trafficking-young-black-girls/. Accessed 18 Mar. 2021.
Morris, Monique W., et al. Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools. Paperback edition. ed., New York, New Press, 2018.
Hi Emma. Your post was really moving for me. I have to say, I do feel guilty as well for not even realizing this was such a struggle for young black girls while I take advantage of a good education. I read something in my book (Race) that said it was believed that blacks were destined to serve whites, it's what they were created for. This was a pretty old belief, but it seems very sadly that some still hold onto those ideas. It's especially sad that when people see black women without jobs, they probably don't even know of this horror that could have forced them to the streets, and put the blame on the woman herself for not trying. I'm not sure exactly what I could do myself to help these young women but I hope awareness is raised so they can have their freedom back.
ReplyDeleteAudria
Your emotions are certainly understandable, and the sources you have for the images are also shocking, even in just the headlines. There has recently been a lot of focus on how missing persons cases involving black girls get much less attention than other cases. Do you think that this idea is related to what is discussed in the book? Where do you think these girls get the ideas about education not being for them? Is it a cycle they learn in their families, or are the schools somehow teaching this lesson?
ReplyDeleteHi Ms. LaClair!
DeleteI think you can certainly draw parallels between the missing persons case and the criminalization of girls in schools. In both cases, black girls are being underserved and unfairly treated. In both environments, the girls often don't get as much attention as they need, whether that be from the media or their teachers. As for the girls getting the idea that education may not be for them, this often comes from ideals within their own family and the messages they receive from teachers. Often black girls become sex workers for their much older boyfriends because they lack this parental figure who they may have lost to addiction, prison, etc. It is a harsh cycle and hard to break out of. They also get the idea that school isn't their thing from their teachers who treat them differently than their white peers. They are often described as "condescending" by the students and the girls feel as though they would be better suited by working on the streets than getting an education where many don't believe in their potential. The girls get these ideas about their lack of self-worth that the school only further enforces. These ideals and stereotypes need to be broken in order to see change in the girls' mindsets.
Hi Emma,
ReplyDeleteYoung Black girls being forced into prostitution and abuse by poverty and insufficient education, especially on such a scale, is extremely disheartening and disturbing. What things need to be done/changed (legally, policy-wise, and socially/culturally) in order to help Black girls receive education that will allow them to pursue better livelihoods, and prevent them from being forced by poverty into sex trafficking? I also wonder how connected this is to the pervasive oversexualization of Black women in popular culture and in the media.
-Max G
Hi Emma!
ReplyDeleteI find the issues you mentioned to be both upsetting and shocking. It's strange to think that girls my age have to deal with so much, while I get to focus on my education, and have almost every door open to me. Recently, I've been realizing how sexist society is, and it bothers me a lot. Changes need to be made. How much do you think sex trafficking has to do with race as opposed to just gender?
Hi Emma,
ReplyDeleteI agree that this topic is very touchy for me as well. As it is, being a young white woman in America is a scary reality. But I could not even imagine how different my life would be if I had a different skin color. There are many instances in my life that I specifically change my course of action or do something differently as to avoid putting myself in certain situations. I know that these other girls are taking the same precautions but it makes me wonder how much more they have to do to avoid it than me, all because of their race? Living in fear is definitely no way to live and my heart goes out to all that have been affected by this terrible action. Your post is so moving and I really appreciate your perspective on the topic!