slayter - black lives matter lecture

Elspeth Slayter, PhDAssociate Professor

School of Social WorkSalem State University

#BlackLivesMatter Teach-In for Social

Work Students

What is a teach-in?

A teach-in is when a particular subject is addressed with a large group of people

Traditionally, teach-ins were done in large groups, but this week’s teach-in will take place in different classrooms across the campus

What will unify these classrooms is the fact that we are talking about the #BlackLivesMatter movement

#BlackLivesMatter Teach-In

National activist movement

Led by Black people, supported by allies

Campaigns against multi-systemic physical, psychological, and political violence toward Black people

Use of #BlackLivesMatter refers to a movement that is addressing the ways in which Black people in the United States are deprived of basic human rights and dignity in many instances

#BlackLivesMatter Teach-In

 Don’t All Lives Matter?

By saying "All Lives Matter," it implies that all lives are equally at risk – and based on narrative accounts, as well as statistical data we know this is not true!

The statement “Black lives matter” is not an anti-white proposition – we are honoring the experience of Black people

Affirming justice for Black people is part of a global and inclusive justice movement.

The #BLM movement is an ideological and political intervention that is committed to recognizing and speaking out against anti-Black racism and changing systems

#BlackLivesMatter Teach-In

#BlackLivesMatter

#BlackLivesMatter

#BlackLivesMatter

#BlackLivesMatter

By saying "All Lives Matter," it implies that all lives are equally at risk – and based on narrative accounts, as well as statistical data we know this is not true!

The statement “Black lives matter” is not an anti-white proposition

Affirming justice for Black people is part of a global and inclusive justice movement

#BLM movement is an ideological, political intervention that is committed to recognizing and speaking out against anti-Black racism

#BlackLivesMatter

#BlackLivesMatter as a controversy

A clarification from #BLM

A word from the U.S. President

Support from police

 Important to me as a social worker“Social workers promote social justice and social

change with and on behalf of clients”

Honor the #BlackLivesMatter movement through teaching – as an ally

Many social situations and trends impacted development of #BlackLivesMatter

One of those is they way social inequality has resulted in disproportionate representation of Black children in child protection/welfare

#BlackLivesMatter Teach-In

#BlackLivesMatter Teach-InWhen compared to White children, Black children

were:

2.92 times more likely to have reports made to child protective hotlines

3.05 times more likely to have those reports accepted for investigation

4.56 times more likely to be removed from their home

Source: http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/disparities-

found-in-child-welfare/

Race/ethnicity % of total child population

% of children in foster care

American Indian/Alaskan

Native

1% 2%

Asian/Pacific Islander 4% 1%

African-American/Black

14% 31%

Hispanic/Latino 22% 20%

White, Non-Hispanic/Latino

56% 40%

#BlackLivesMatter Teach-In

U.S. Census Bureau, 2008

#BlackLivesMatter Teach-InDisparate experiences

(Stoltzfus, 2005)

Part of disparity may be attributed to use of kinship care – but does not account for the enormity of the gap

6.29 times more likely to stay out of home for 2+ years

African-American/Black Children

White Children

Mean length of stay in foster care, 2003

40 months

24 months

#BlackLivesMatter Teach-InNot new phenomenon!

Slavery - excluded from orphanages /placed in almshouses

1910: National Urban League, need equitable services

Post WWII: Increased “access”

1959: Study on reduced likelihood of adoption

1963: Study on racial bias among child protection workers

Why do we see disproportionality?

3 National Incidence Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS) found no relationship between race and the incidence of child maltreatment after controlling for poverty and other risk factors (Sedlak & Broadhurst, 1996)

Incidence of child abuse and neglect was associated with poverty & single parenthood

Socioeconomic status - strongest predictor of maltreatment rates (Sedlak, McPherson, & Das, 2010)

#BlackLivesMatter Teach-In

How can we move forward to address the realities of Black children and families?

Poverty alleviation and community development

Efforts to improve socioeconomic status (SES)SES = Education, Income, Profession

Jimenez: Suggested policy solutionsAllow subsidies for legal guardiansFoster the use of broad kinship networksDevelop shared custody models vs. TPR

#BlackLivesMatter Teach-In

How can we move forward to address the realities of Black children and families?

Researchers: Move beyond “disproportionality exists”:Does the magnitude of the gap differ in different

localities? Do places that have high disparity rates share other

characteristics? Are factors such as family structure, unemployment,

and parental education levels related in any way to disparity rates?

How should what we learn about where disparity is greatest influence public investments designed to promote greater equity for children and families?

#BlackLivesMatter Teach-In

How can YOU make a difference?

Be aware of how your social identities impact your social work practice

Be an ally – honor the experiences of Black people!

Be aware of the causes of disproportionality!

Work towards small-scale solutions!Think globally, act locally

#BlackLivesMatter Teach-In