'PUSHOUT: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools'

PUSHOUT: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools takes a close look at the educational, judicial, and societal disparities Black girls face. The award-winning documentary by executive producers Jacoba Atlas, Monique W. Morris, Ed.D., and Denise Pines, is adapted from Dr. Morris’s groundbreaking book of the same title. 

On Monday, May 10 at 7 p.m., Rhode Island PBS and Roger Williams University (RWU) collaborate to bring this film to the RWU campus-wide community, as well as the greater Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts audience. 

The film provides insight from experts across the country who have extensively worked in social justice, gender equality, and educational equity fields. PUSHOUT employs the compelling first-person narratives of five girls to illustrate the misunderstanding of Black girlhood. The film confronts how that misunderstanding leads to excessive punitive discipline, disrupting one of the most crucial factors in girls’ lives — their education.   

The May 10 virtual event features a preview of the film and a panel discussion. The full documentary will then air on television at 9 p.m. on WSBE Rhode Island PBS, and streamed at watch.ripbs.org/livestream.  

The event will open with a 20-minute segment from the film to set up the local conversation about the film and issues from Rhode Island’s perspective. Audience Q&A will follow the discussion with: 

Kiara Butler, Ed.D. - Panelist 

• Dr. Kiara Butler is the CEO and Founder of Diversity Talks, a Rhode Island-based training company that specializes in providing student-led professional development grounded in diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is a strong advocate for student voice, and currently focuses on bringing the voices of marginalized groups to the forefront. Because of her advocacy, she has been recognized for her work in various capacities such as Forbes 30 Under 30 and TEDxProvidence. Today, her experience as a graduate from Mississippi’s K12 public education system remains a driving force behind her commitment as a change agent transforming K12 public education.

Kamille Gentles-Peart, Ph.D. - Panelist 

• Dr. Gentles-Peart is an Associate Professor of Communication and Media Studies at Roger Williams University. Her recent work centers Black women and the ways in which they negotiate and decolonize beauty and body politics in white supremacist spaces. She is the co-founder of the Collaborative for the Research on Black Women and Girls, a research-working group that celebrates, supports, and amplifies the voices of Black women and girls through symposia, workshops, and writing groups. Recently, she was awarded a fellowship to the New England Board of Higher Education to work on racial equity among faculty in the region.

Ellen Reinhardt,MA/CAGS - Panelist 

• Ellen Reinhardt is an MTSS Implementation Specialist who works with schools and districts throughout Rhode Island, providing face-to-face as well as online professional learning and coaching support. Prior to her work in MTSS implementation, Ellen was a school psychologist for 20 years. In this capacity, she served students with and without disabilities in grades K – 12 and provided evaluation as well as individualized services for students with disabilities. Ellen is a trainer of restorative practices and has served as adjunct faculty at Rhode Island College, teaching coursework in functional behavior assessment and classroom management.

Kimberlee Johnsen-Smith, Ed.D.- Moderator 

• Dr. Kimberlee Johnsen-Smith is the Director of Partnerships and Field Experiences in the Education Department at Roger Williams University. In this position, she establishes and sustains partnerships for teacher candidates and expands opportunities to advocate for equitable, diverse, and inclusive teaching practices across schools in the local region. Dr. Johnsen-Smith's recent research interests and community activities have involved founding the Global Citizenship Institute to advance English and intercultural capacities, leverage global competency standards, engage local professionals, and elevate peaceful intercultural relations through an examination of international literature that focuses on self-awareness and mindfulness practices. 

“We are happy to collaborate with Roger Williams University to present this film and convene this panel of distinguished professionals to examine these critical issues,” said David W. Piccerelli, president of Rhode Island PBS. 

“The film Pushout and many educational experts are exposing the persistent disparate, severe disciplinary treatment that Black girls are unfairly contending within schools across the country,” said Kimberlee Johnsen-Smith, Ed.D., Director of Partnerships and Field Experiences, RWU Education Department. “Roger Williams University is pleased to partner with Rhode Island PBS on this event to help advance our mission of preparing our future educators to be equipped with the awareness of systemic injustices and to have the knowledge and skills to respond to all student needs, both academic and socio-emotional and behavioral, so that every student has the positive learning experiences to thrive and be successful.”  

The virtual event is free to attend, but registration is required for the screening link. 

Following the May 10 broadcast and stream, the documentary will encore on television and stream on Thursday, May 13 at 10 p.m. 

WSBE Rhode Island PBS transmits over the air in high definition on digital 36.1; Cox 08 / 1008HD, Verizon FiOS 08 / 508HD, and Full Channel 08; Comcast 819HD and Verizon FiOS 18 / 518HD in MA; DirecTV 36, Dish Network 36. The broadcast schedule streams on watch.ripbs.org/livestream.