School Suspension Rates
K-12

Digital Prints 11 x 17 in

Content: The Pledge of Allegiance and the My Country ‘Tis of Thee lyrics
Typeface: Helvetica Bold
Alignment: Left aligned
Artist: Cheryl McBride

Black students in the United States are subject to disciplinary action at rates much higher than their white counterparts. These disciplinary actions put students at higher risk for negative life outcomes, including involvement in the criminal justice system.

There are substantial gaps in educational outcomes between black and white students in the United States. Recently, increased attention has focused on differences in the rates at which black and white students are disciplined, finding that black students are more likely to be seen as problematic and more likely to be punished than white students are for the same offense.

The piece on the left represents the racial breakdown of Latina. Black & White general female populations in the United States K -12. Each word represents a %. 52% is the number of the “Latina population,” indicated by the color black. 15% is the number of the “Black population,” indicated by the color yellow. 23% is the number of the “White population,” indicated by the color green. 155 is the total number of words.

The piece on the right represents the racial breakdown of Latina, Black & White female students K-12 in the United States who have 1 or more suspensions. Each word represents a %. 27% is the number of the “Latina/Hispanic female students,” indicated by the color black. 48% is the number of the “Black female students,” indicated by the color yellow. 17% is the number of the “White female students,” indicated by the color green. 155 is the total number of words.

The Pledge of Allegiance was written in August 1892 by the socialist minister Francis Bellamy (1855-1931). It was originally published in The Youth’s Companion on September 8, 1892. Bellamy had hoped that the pledge would be used by citizens in any country.

My Country ‘Tis of Thee,
Sweet Land of Liberty...

Although we know that Reverend Samuel Francis Smith wrote the words to “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” (also known as “America”), the origin of the song’s melody remains a mystery. And the history of its verses is even more complex.

The colors of the words reference common colors you see in K-12 schools. Green is for the chalkboard, black is for the notebooks, and Yellow is for the pencil.