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What changes when we treat girls as sacred rather than disposable? We sit down with Dr. Monique Couvson —scholar, author of Pushout, and leader of G4GC—to map how schools, policies, and everyday assumptions push Black girls toward punishment instead of possibility. From her roots in San Francisco and the wisdom of ancestors to a clear-eyed analysis of data and discipline, she shows how faith, research, and philanthropy can work together to build learning spaces where belonging is the default and healing is the norm.

We explore the core idea of pushout: the policies, practices, conditions, and prevailing consciousness that heighten contact with the juvenile and criminal legal systems. Dr. Morris explains why Black girls are overrepresented at every disciplinary decision point, how adultification bias and sexual violence histories shape outcomes, and why carceral language in schools—detention, infractions, zero tolerance—primes children for future harm. Her answer isn’t a softer version of punishment; it’s a different paradigm: restorative approaches with structure, culturally grounded social-emotional learning, and a commitment to schools as locations for healing.

You’ll also hear how participatory research reframes power by recognizing participants as co-keepers of knowledge, and why the “righteous mind” matters for real learning—inviting students to bring their whole selves, question boldly, and practice discernment. We connect these insights to philanthropic strategy and community design, highlighting Girls Unlimited and funds that resource Black, Indigenous, and gender-expansive youth of color. The through line is agency: when we invest early, honor lived experience, and expand our collective imagination, justice stops being a pie to slice and becomes a garden we grow.

If you care about education justice, restorative practices, and ending the criminalization of Black girls, this conversation offers both clarity and a blueprint. Listen, share with an educator or policymaker, and then tell us: what’s one carceral habit your community is ready to replace? Subscribe, leave a review, and join us as we build a faith-based abolitionist movement grounded in repair, relationship, and real safety.

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