When I first began my investigation of local community organizations and activist voices, I was skeptical. I, as a 22-year old white-privileged female have never had to encounter issues such as the school-to-prison pipeline. Moreover, I have never had to fight for my rights against a system that perpetuates my oppression. I stand on the outskirts looking through a lens that is clouded by my white environment. Although this is the case, I knew exactly what my opinions were about our segregated, racist nation that criminalizes, kills and imprisons its vulnerable, minority youth: I am deeply infuriated by the racial inequality that exists within this nation, however, I have never voiced that. I believe in an unmovable, oppressive system that halts the upward mobility of minority youth. My skepticism came from disregard. I did not believe that small grassroots organizations could stand a chance combatting against the powerful systems that have oppressed them for decades. In addition, I did not believe that a selectively deaf government would hear the tiny pleas of community organizers. I believed that no matter how hard these organizations tried, their efforts would only result in the scratching of an issue’s surface.

I was wrong. After learning about the diverse initiatives aimed at both targeting the school-to-prison pipeline and attacking issues such as racial injustice, I became inspired. I have learned about the collective power of community organizations. Yes, maybe I was right: individual agency is powerless when alone, but when individual agency unites as a communal collective, a powerful spark ignites. This powerful spark has been evidenced in the wake of the Ferguson and Staten Island killings. Mass protesting, civil disobedience, sit-ins, die-ins, and workshops have all been organized by “small” individuals with loud voices who speak about important messages. People have started to listen. Community organizers leverage the inflictions and injustices found within their communities in order to elicit change, develop leadership and empower youth.

In my own research, I was impressed by the work of the community organizations, many of which took strategic approaches in their attempts to end the school-to-prison pipeline. I learned that the fight for justice is long and grueling, as many of the organizations have been fighting against the same injustices for years. However, all of the organizations I explored were successful in taking incremental steps towards change. While many of their victories were small, their collective victories were beneficial in getting one step closer to dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline. I realized the importance of accountable community organizations in eliciting authentic, beneficial change from within the community. Each community is distinct and is in need of individualized solutions. I now understand the importance of local chapters consisting of community advocates within larger organizations. Additionally, I was intrigued by the many unique angles of the community organizers took in addressing the issue at hand. While all organizations addressed zero-tolerance policies as a distinct issue, solving the issue took on many different forms: from improving child well-being through resource allocation, protesting the opening of county jails to using poetry as a mode of resistance. I was enlightened by the many ways people used tools within their community to amplify their voices.

The most important part of my research was listening to individual minority students who are affected by exclusionary disciplinary policies. Hearing personal accounts of children made my heartache. These children have been reduced to statistics in research reports. Because of this, their situation seems far away and fantastical. Hearing their voices and pleas transported me, helping me better understand their situation. Many of the organizations that I explored were youth-led. It became a reoccurring theme that students are best positioned to be educational activists, being the direct victims of the unjust educational system.  Additionally, it was inspiring to learn about how courageous young people have become empowered to elicit change within their own situations and stand up to their systematic oppressor.

When I first began exploring the area of urban education I was hopeless, The educational system as a whole is intrinsically problematic, not to mention in areas where people are marginalized the most. However, now I am hopeful. While the school-to-prison pipeline and many other injustices remain problematic, people are doing something about it and most importantly, those people are making a difference. Community organizing is an important tool in the disruption of the school-to-prison pipeline and other educational injustices. My exploration of local community organizations has led me to believe that there is hope in improving the life and educational chances of children throughout the United States. Now, I want to be part of it.