A civil rights initiative called The Advancement Project, developed to help communities of color dismantle inequitable policies and promote racial justice, held an unprecedented national conference in July called “We Can Do Better" to discuss racial profiling in schools and alternatives to harsh disciplinary policies. The conference brought together students, families, educators, researchers, grassroots organizations and others who aim to stop both the overuse and misuse of punitive discipline in schools and the over-criminilization of young people. Stakeholders shared collaborative ways to end these practices and advances that have been made in addressing both of these issues.
Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff was one speaker at the conference. He gave a presentation on implicit bias and explained research documenting how black children on the edge of puberty are often percieved as older and less innocent than their white peers. To read more about the conference, go here. To watch Dr. Goff's talk, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzowRITPlRA&list=PL5XpXVe184_OArUW_Hz5oPxjCJYavhKx1