Most Black households have single parent mothers who work two jobs, the only place where Black youth get hope is at school. Unfortunately, most schools in Black neighborhoods have low quality education, teachers who don’t understand the trauma their students go through, and the rough treatment being put on students. This leaves Black students having a bad experience with school, leading them to violence, dropping out, or later engaging in criminal activity. Before entering the system, many incarcerated juveniles had negative school experiences that include suspension, dropping out, and constantly having negative relationships with educators. Not having a positive life or academic influences at school leave many juveniles to later be incarcerated or unemployed. In order to survive, Black youth will need money to either provide for themselves or help out with family bills. However, Black youth have extremely low employment rates and employer response rates. This disproportion can be linked to Black youth not having as many opportunities as their white peers or access to quality education. This leaves them underrepresented in the workforce, and further stimulates the stereotype that Black youth are lazy. So in result, instead of getting a job Black youth may sell drugs, join gangs, or commit burglary as an alternative. These alternatives are not one that Black youth are eager to make, rather it is the only ones they were shown so it feels like they don’t have a choice.
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