UWF Legislative Advocacy Day champions educational inequity

By Jessica Brodie

Scores of women from across South Carolina gathered at Epworth Children’s Home March 18 to learn how they can help the fight against inequality, particularly when it comes to children and youth.

In what was the first Legislative Advocacy Day held in-person since the pandemic, United Women in Faith’s Social Action Committee organized the day to enable women to understand the injustice and inequities that can occur in our school systems.

Women heard from three speakers with deep personal and professional knowledge about some of these injustices: Jennifer Rainville Esq., education policy attorney with the South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center; Dr. Quantina Haggwood, executive director of the South Carolina School Improvement Council; and Vivian Anderson, founder and executive director of EveryBlackGirl Inc.

One by one, the women shared how their work to champion those Jesus called “the least of these” is something we all can take part in.

A shameful first-place

Rainville began by sharing a startling statistic. South Carolina holds the distinction of being the top state in the nation in the numbers of preschoolers suspended. These preschoolers aren’t bringing weapons to school, and sometimes the behavioral problems that get them kicked out of school speak to deeper needs, such as disabilities or some of the effects of poverty. As Rainville noted, it’s hard to learn when you’re hungry.

“If this happens in preschool, what do we think happens in kindergarten or first grade?” Rainville asked, noting we kick them out and then don’t put in strategies to remedy the problem. “This tells the child, ‘You’re not welcome here; school isn’t for you.’”

She noted that 62.2 percent of students in public school are living in poverty in South Carolina, and some of them struggle with food and security daily. One of the kids she represented was a kindergartner who couldn’t sit still. He had needs that needed to be met, she said, yet he was receiving no services, and the so-called solution was to kick him out.

This ultimately perpetuates the larger problem, Rainville said, which United Women in Faith have been addressing, ending what is known as the school-to-prison pipeline.

She told attendees there were a number of bills pending seeking to ban or reduce preschool suspensions or expulsions, and she urged the women to get the South Carolina Legislature Mobile App to track and stay on top of the bills, including H-4068 and H-3974.

Much work to do

Next, Haggwood spoke about her work with the South Carolina School Improvement Council, which strives to foster high-quality public schools across the state, serving as an advisory body to help the schools. Unlike parent-teacher organizations that work to raise extra funds, the SIC is mandated by South Carolina to be in every school in the state, but many community members don’t know their help is needed or how they can get involved.

Haggwood, a first-generation college student and former middle school principal, has seen the needs firsthand and knows how important it is for people to be engaged and help the schools.

“We have to come together so schools are not run by people outside communities but parents and businesspeople locally,” she said, noting their priorities include chronic absenteeism, early childhood behavior, mental health, family engagement and teacher wellness.

Finally, Anderson shared how her work advocating for Black girls in the school system is as important now as it was decades ago.

Anderson began her talk by reading a poem she wrote 25 years ago on “Why I Do What I Do,” tearing up as she recalled how the needs then are still very much present today.

In 2015, while working with Momentum Teens and with BlackLivesMatter NYC, she heard about how a school resource officer at Spring Valley High School in Columbia brutally assaulted a Black female student, Shakara, for refusing to hand over a cell phone, then threatened and arrested another, Niya, for standing up for Shakara. Inspired, Anderson moved to South Carolina and started EveryBlackGirl Inc., which organizes and provides programming to address the conditions leading to Black girls being pushed out of schools and becoming at risk for arrest, confinement and incarceration.

“Discipline and violence are two different things,” she said, recounting the problems that face not only Black girls but so many students of all races and genders across the state.

But often, the attention is on helping young Black men. Yet females need advocacy, too.

“The idea is the girls are OK, but they’re not,” Anderson told the crowd.

All means all

The presenters had an opportunity for a round table panel discussion after their individual talks, then a question-answer session designed to help women understand the issues and what they can do about them.

Haggwood shared how when she was young, everyone she knew wrote her off.  “I wasn’t supposed to make it,” she said. “I was headed down the wrong path, but through my mom not giving up and prayer and people who helped me, I made it. And every single kid deserves that opportunity to make it. The work I do is my little part in making that happen.”

She urged all gathered in the room to do their part, too.

“Get educated and get resources,” Haggwood said, urging them to call people out on untruths if necessary. “Help us get the truth out about things impacting our community.”

Rainville agreed. “All means all, and all kids deserve that chance to get a good quality education,” she told the crowd, urging people to be as informed and as involved as possible and learn the educational rights each child has.

Anderson shared that the church has far more might than it believes.

“The church is one of the most powerful institutions that can move and make change,” she said, encouraging attendees to read and truly take to heart Jesus’ words in Matthew 18:6. “We need to take that on,” Anderson said. “We need to ask, ‘What do I need to do so our children don’t stumble?’”

‘The fight is still on’

After, some women headed over to the South Carolina Statehouse, where state legislators have the opportunity to address many of these issues.

One of those legislators, Dr. Jermaine Johnson Sr. of South Carolina House District 52, was present at Legislative Advocacy Day and spoke words of welcome at the beginning of the gathering.

Rep. Johnson shared how he grew up in a difficult home environment, and much of his childhood was spent moving from hotel to motel. Yet thanks to a basketball scholarship and hard work, he rose above his circumstances. After a time as a professional basketball player, he went on to dedicate his life to helping people break negative cycles, founding the New Economic Beginnings Foundation.

After his election to the House in 2020, he’s worked hard to champion the voiceless.

“I never realized how many people felt voiceless until I began to speak out,” Johnson said, urging those gathered to stand firmly in their own work to advocate for women, children, youth and others needing a voice. “Thank you for doing the hard work you do.”

His words echoed what others shared during the gathering.

As Social Action Chair Patricia Armstrong said in her welcome, “For more 155 years, United Women in Faith has been committed to advocating for women children and youth, and the fight is still on.”

Debra Schooler, South Carolina United Women in Faith president, agreed.

“United Women in Faith are bold, and we take action,” School said, telling those gathered, “I pray you will leave this event inspired and ready to go.”