Images

Tamika Reese Ed.D., is a 2025 graduate of the Ed.D. program in Educational and Professional Practice at Antioch University.

Dissertation Committee:

Tony Kashani, Ph.D., Committee Chair

Lesley Jackson, Ph.D., Committee Member

Gerald Fitzhugh II, Ed.D., Committee Member

Keywords

colorism, skin tone bias, Black girls, exclusionary school discipline, The Matrix of Domination, Structural Domain of Power, Disciplinary Domain of Power, Cultural Domain of Power, Interpersonal Domain of Power

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Date

2025

Abstract

Black girls are the fastest-growing group facing exclusionary school discipline, including suspensions, expulsions, and law enforcement referrals. National data reveals that Black girls are significantly more likely to be suspended than white girls, yet little research has explored how skin tone influences these disparities. This qualitative narrative inquiry examined the role of colorism in the discipline of Black girls by expanding on Patricia Hill Collins’s Matrix of Domination framework. Through the voices of five Black girls with varying skin tones and eight school leaders involved in disciplinary decisions, the study explored how the intersections of race, gender, and skin tone shaped school discipline outcomes. Findings revealed that darker-skinned Black girls were more likely to be labeled as aggressive and faced harsher consequences for subjective infractions like defiance, receiving fewer second chances than their lighter-skinned peers. Implicit biases and stereotypes contributed to these patterns, with darker-skinned girls experiencing more hostility and less empathy, while lighter-skinned girls were more often perceived as compliant and worthy of support. School leaders showed varying levels of awareness, some acknowledging systemic biases while others attributed disparities to individual behaviors. The research demonstrated how structural, cultural, disciplinary, and interpersonal power dynamics intersect to criminalize the lived experiences of Black girls. It calls for culturally responsive policies, implicit bias training, restorative justice practices, and addressing disciplinary disparities through leadership awareness and accountability. These efforts are essential to fostering equitable learning environments and ensuring that all Black girls receive fair, supportive, and just treatment in schools. This dissertation was available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Comments

ORCID No. 0009-0008-3068-1253

Download

Share

COinS