How Black Children Were Criminalized as “Emotionally Disturbed” in the 1970s-80s: The Origins of the School-to-Prison Pipeline
Detailed Breakdown During the 1970s and 80s, many Black children who didn’t conform to rigid behavioral expectations—those who didn’t sit still, follow directions flawlessly, or smile enough—were unjustly labeled as “emotionally disturbed.” This label wasn’t about providing support or nurturing growth; it was a tool to segregate children who made predominantly white educators uncomfortable. These