GENERATIONS. BUT AS TONI BLACK SHOWS US, SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS MAY HAVE
FOUND A SOLUTION.
>> SCHOOL WASN'T SOMETHING THAT
YOU KNOW, WAS INVESTED INTO ME
SO I WASN'T INVESTED IN IT.
>> THE SHAW NEIGHBORS OF SOUTH
SEATTLE SAYS HIS JOURNEY TO THE
PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM WASN'T
EASY.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I
LOOKED FORWARD TO GOING TO
SCHOOL WAS TOUGH NOT BECAUSE
OF THE HOMEWORK TEST OR EVEN
EARNING HIS DIPLOMA.
>> HE DID THAT IN 2012.
IT WAS TOUGH BECAUSE FROM HIS
FIRST DAYS OF SCHOOL HE FELT
ALONE.
FEW IN A POSITION OF POWER
LOOKED LIKE HIM.
TEACHERS OR ADMINISTRATORS I
DON'T REMEMBER HAVING LIKE A
SUPER CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH
LIKE ANY TEACHER LIKE THAT.
>> WOULD YOU HAVE WANTED ONE?
IT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE
BENEFITED ME FOR SURE.
BUT I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS
WHAT I WANTED BECAUSE IT WASN'T
SOMETHING THAT I THOUGHT WAS
ENOUGH.
I DIDN'T SEE IT WASN'T
HAPPENING.
>> THE SHORE NEIGHBOR STORY
ISN'T UNIQUE.
ACCORDING TO THE ACLU, BLACK
STUDENTS ARE SUSPENDED OR
EXPELLED THREE TIMES MORE THAN
WHITE STUDENTS AND THERE'S A
HUGE CONSEQUENCE FOR THOSE
KICKED OUT OF SCHOOL.
THEY'RE THREE TIMES MORE LIKELY
TO END UP IN THE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE SYSTEM.
IT'S A PHRASE YOU'VE PROBABLY
HEARD BEFORE.
THE SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE.
WHY HAS THIS BEEN HAPPENING FOR
DECADES?
STUDIES SHOW BLACK MALES
SYSTEMICALLY HAVE THE CARDS
STACKED AGAINST THEM.
THEY'RE DISCIPLINED FAR MORE
OFTEN THAN WHITE STUDENTS AND
ARE LABELED AS TROUBLEMAKERS.
AND WHEN THEY DO GET IN
TROUBLE, THERE'S FEW BLACK
MENTORS IN THE BUILDING FOR
THEM TO LEAN ON FOR HELP.
YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE ALWAYS
TARGETED ANYWAY WHETHER YOU'RE
WRONG OR THE RIGHT.
>> YOU FEEL LIKE THERE'S JUST
NO WAY THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING
CROSS PATHS WITH THE LAW
STUDENTS OF COLOR AND BLACK
BOYS IN PARTICULAR HAVE AN
EQUAL SHOT OF SUCCESS IN THE
CLASSROOM TODAY.
>> THE ANSWER WOULD BE NO.
>> DR MEEHL WILLIAMS IS
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SEATTLE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEW OFFICE
OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALE
ACHIEVEMENT OR AIMé THE FIRST
OF ITS KIND IN THE STATE AND A
PIONEER IN THE COUNTRY AN
INITIATIVE TO REMOVE BARRIERS
AND GIVE SUPPORT TO
AFRICAN-AMERICAN BOYS AND YOUNG
MEN WHO ACCORDING TO DISTRICT
DATA ARE THE FURTHEST FROM
EDUCATIONAL JUSTICE.
IT IS ACTUALLY A MARATHON TO
UNPACK ALL THE INSTITUTIONAL
RACIST PRACTICES THAT HAVE GONE
ON FOR LONG THAT HAVE NOT
BENEFITED OUR TEENS IN OUR
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
>> I NOTICE THE TOO COMMON
THINGS YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE
IMPORTANCE OF CALLING THEM
WHITE KINGS KINGS BECAUSE IN
OUR IN OUR HISTORY WE WORKING'S
IN IT WE'VE TRIED TO STRIP THAT
AWAY AND BY DEHUMANIZE AS IN
OUR ARE BLACK BOYS AND TEENS
AND SO WE REFER TO OUR KINGS AS
KINGS.
>> ALL THE BLACK BOYS IS KING
SO THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY ARE
ROYALTY AND THAT THEY ARE
BRILLIANT.
>> THE ENEMY IS ONLY A YEAR OLD
BUT THEY'VE ALREADY HIT KEY
MILESTONES SUCH AS INCLUDING
BLACK STUDENT VOICES IN
DECISION MAKING HIRING BLACK
MALE LEADERSHIP AND MANAGERS
PARTNERING WITH COMMUNITY
RESOURCES TO REMOVE THE MOST
BASIC BARRIERS TO LEARNING THE
NEED FOR FOOD, CLOTHING AND
HOUSING SUPPORTING THE HUMAN
RESOURCES TEAM AND HIRING MORE
EDUCATORS OF COLOR IN 2019.
STATE EDUCATION LEADERS
REPORTED NINE OUT OF 10
TEACHERS IN WASHINGTON WERE
WHITE.
SHAWN, WHO NOW HAS A ONE YEAR
OLD DAUGHTER, SAYS HAVE BEEN A
RESOURCE LIKE THE AMAA WHILE HE
WAS IN SCHOOL WOULD HAVE BEEN A
LIFE CHANGER.
THE ABILITY TO CONNECT WITH
EDUCATORS WHO BETTER UNDERSTAND
HIS BACKGROUND.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO
SCHOOL MORE THAN THEY'RE AT
HOME WITH THEIR FAMILIES.
>> SO LIKE FOR THIS MUCH OF A
CHUNK OF MY LIFE IS BEING TAKEN
AND BEING SPENT WITH SOMEBODY
THAT HAS NO EXPERIENCE THAT I
CAN EXPERIENCE, NO RELATIONS
THAT I KNOW TYPE OF ANY
CONNECTION.
SO HOW DO I BENEFIT FROM THAT?
>> SHAWN IS NOW WORKING AS AN
AMBASSADOR FOR COMMUNITY
PASSAGEWAYS, A SEATTLE
NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO KEEPING
YOUTH OUT OF JAIL, STOPPING
BLACK BOYS FROM GETTING STUCK
IN THE SCHOOL TO PRISON
PIPELINE WITH NO ONE WITH US.
>> WE ARE CREATING JUST
REHABILITATION, CHANGING THE
WAY WE THINK ABOUT THINGS,
CHANGING OUR ACCESS TO SHORE
KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE GOING
THROUGH.
>> WHEN HE WAS EIGHT POLICE
PULLED THEM OVER WHILE RIDING
HIS BIKE FOR NOT WEARING A
HELMET.
AT AGE 14 HE ALLEGEDLY STOLE
FROM RENTON SAFEWAY AND WOUND
UP IN THE BACK OF A PATROL CAR.
>> I WANTED TO SAY I WAS
WILLING TO FACE IT.
I WAS A SLAYER.
OK, IT REALLY DIDN'T IT DIDN'T
MOVE ME TOO MUCH LIKE IT
PROBABLY WOULD LIKE THE AVERAGE
PERSON.
I MEAN EVEN IF THAT WAS MY
FIRST BEING IN A POLICE CAR,
I'VE SEEN IT SO MUCH SO IT WAS
LIKE THIS INEVITABLE WINDING UP
IN PRISON AS A YOUNG MAN WAS
INEVITABLE.
>> WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO
THAT?
AND IS HIS STORY UNUSUAL?
>> WHAT I KNOW IS AN OFFICE
OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALE
ACHIEVEMENT IS COMMITTED TO
CHANGING THAT NARRATIVE.
>> IT DIDN'T STOP THERE.
LAST NOVEMBER HE WAS ARRESTED
AGAIN CHARGED WITH ROBBING
BELLVIEW PORTALE WHERE HE HAD
WORKED.
HE'S AWAITING TRIAL ON
ELECTRONICAL MONETARY AND IS
WORKING AT COMMUNITY PASSAGE
WAYS TO HELP OTHER KIDS AVOID
HIS PATH.
DO YOU SEE VERSIONS OF YOURSELF
AND ANY OTHER KIDS THAT YOU
WORK WITH?
>> I DO SEE SOME SOME
SIMILARITIES WITH SOME OF THE
YOUNG MEN AND WITHIN MYSELF.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF US COME FROM
DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS OR YOU
KNOW, DIFFERENT AREAS.
BUT SOME OF THE TRAUMA IS
REALLY THE SAME.
>> THE TRAUMA IN SCHOOL
OF FEELING MISUNDERSTOOD ALONE
AND LABEL AND AT HOME WATCHING
THE BLACK MAN YOU LOOK UP TO
BEING TAKEN AWAY ENDING UP IN
EITHER JAIL OR DEAD EVEN IF
YOU'RE NOT PHYSICALLY DOING YET
.
>> IT'S IT'S EMBEDDED IN USE.
IT'S IT'S KIND OF IN YOUR BLOOD
.
IT'S LIKE YOU KNOW, EVEN IF YOU
TRY YOUR BEST GET AWAY FROM
EVERYTHING YOU'RE SOMEHOW GOING
TO END UP YOU KNOW, AT LEAST
NEXT TO THE TROUBLE THE AMY IS
COMMITTED TO CHANGING THOSE
OUTCOMES AND CREATING
EDUCATIONAL PARITY FOR A GROUP
OF STUDENTS LEFT BEHIND FOR FAR
TOO LONG.
>> I BELIEVE EVERYONE NEEDS TO
PAY ATTENTION AND SHOW BIKEWAYS
AND TO THEY MATTER THAT THEY'RE
BRILLIANT