Program Description
Event Details
Years ago, in Spring Valley High School in South Carolina, a school officer threw a teenage girl across the room when she refused to put away her cell phone. This incident was witnessed by students and the scene was caught on camera and went viral. A fellow classmate, Niya Kenny protested what she was seeing during the “Assault at Spring Valley.” Her emotional response to what she witnessed had her taken to jail and charged with "disturbing a school." This is not an isolated incident.
Hundreds of thousands of young people are pushed out of schools and into the prison system through police interaction at school. Discover how Black girls, with the support of organizers, are creating a more just and equitable future for themselves and our entire education system. We encourage everyone to join in our upcoming film screening, "On These Grounds," to learn more about the very real school-to-prison pipeline, its effects on students and what they and others are doing to fix this.
Doors open at 5 p.m with the screening starting at 5:30 p.m. Stay afterwards for a discussion on the topic led by Government Community Relations, DEI & Public Safety Consultant, Aeiramique Blake as well as:
• Niya Kenny: After the Spring Valley incident, Kenny left that high school and opted to finish her GED instead. She was the lead plaintiff in a ACLU lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of South Carolina's "disturbing a school" laws for their broad and unequal application towards Black students.
• Michael D. Washington: Formerly of the San Diego Superior Court, the honorable Judge Michael D. Washington has taught lawyers and judges in Liberia, Kenya and other African countries. He also teaches California judges through their Center for Judicial Education and Research (CJER), including at the B.E. Witkin Judicial College.
Attendees will receive a copy of Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in School by Monique W. Morris, while supplies last, as part of our Books for Good Trouble: Social Justice Dialogues programming series. These dialogs encourage discussion of local community concerns and connects books, creators and encourages positive changes in our neighborhoods.
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***IMPORTANT*** Complimentary parking is available for registered attendees. Make sure to mention this program upon entering the San Diego Central Library parking garage.
This event occurs during Opening Day for the Padres at Petco Park. There will be higher than usual traffic in the downtown region. We encourage everyone to come early to avoid the crowds.
If you have any questions regarding this program, please contact Ady Huertas (AHuertas@sandiego.gov) by email or call (619) 236-5865
The Books for Good Trouble programming series is supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.