How dubious suspensions derail Black students

+ Plymouth Plantation's #MeToo moment͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ US Edition - Today's top story: School suspensions don't just unfairly penalize Black students – they lead to lower grades and 'Black flight' [View in browser]( US Edition | 24 November 2020 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair Black students often get a raw deal when it comes to school suspensions, making up a disproportionate share of those kicked out of class. You might think the problem would be less of an issue when so many schools are operating remotely during the pandemic. Think again. News reports show Black children are still being suspended for dubious reasons – even when they’re learning remotely at home, criminal justice scholar Charles Bell writes. To better understand the impact of “unwarranted school punishment” on Black children and their families, Bell [has been exploring their personal stories]( in an ongoing research project. Also today: - [Why we heal more slowly with age]( - [Winning keys to redistricting may be GOP’s biggest victory]( - [How to overcome COVID-19 vaccine skepticism]( Jamaal Abdul-Alim Education Editor Suspensions have continued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, while children are attending remotely from their homes. Marie-Claude Lemay/iStock/Getty Images Plus [School suspensions don’t just unfairly penalize Black students – they lead to lower grades and ‘Black flight’]( Charles Bell, Illinois State University Schools can consider virtual learning and other ways to reduce the negative impact of suspensions on student achievement. Economy + Business - [Why nursing home aides exposed to COVID-19 aren’t taking sick leave]( Shefali Milczarek-Desai, University of Arizona; Tara Sklar, University of Arizona Over one-third of America’s COVID-19 deaths have been nursing home residents. Employee policies, particularly for low-paid aides, have sharply raised the risk. Politics/Election '20 - [Republicans didn’t lose big in 2020 – they held onto statehouses and the power to influence future elections]( Robin E. Best, Binghamton University, State University of New York; Steve Lem, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania State legislatures, which will draw congressional districts that last through 2030, are dominated by the GOP. - [‘My vote will be Black’ – A wave of Afro-Brazilian women ran for office in 2020 but found glass ceiling hard to break]( Gladys Mitchell-Walthour, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee The 2018 murder of Rio city councilwoman Marielle Franco inspired record numbers of Black women to get involved in politics. Winning proved harder – but it isn't the only point of their campaigns. - [A century ago, James Weldon Johnson became the first Black person to head the NAACP]( Anthony Siracusa, University of Mississippi The influential civil rights group got its start following a wave of brutal white-led violence against Black people in Springfield, Illinois. Health - [Why do older people heal more slowly?]( Matthew Steinhauser, University of Pittsburgh Healing is a complicated process. As people age, higher rates of disease and the fact that old cells lose the ability to divide slow this process down. - [The next vaccine breakthrough: Health experts identify ways to help people trust a coronavirus vaccine]( Ann Christiano, University of Florida; Jack J. Barry, University of Florida The United Nations recently asked a group of experts across the world to recommend ways to persuade people to take a COVID-19 vaccine. Here is a summary of their suggestions. - [These at-home exercises can help older people boost their immune system and overall health in the age of COVID-19]( Mark A. Gluck, Rutgers University - Newark ; Bernadette A. Fausto, Rutgers University - Newark ; Lisa Charles, Rutgers University - Newark Older adults, who are at a higher risk for COVID-19 complications, can strengthen their immune systems by exercising. Arts + Culture - [In the 1620s, Plymouth Plantation had its own #MeToo moment]( Carla Gardina Pestana, University of California, Los Angeles An ex-minister named John Lyford arrived at the nascent colony hoping for a fresh start. But he couldn't escape his past. Ethics + Religion - [Muslims have visualized Prophet Muhammad in words and calligraphic art for centuries]( Suleyman Dost, Brandeis University Visual depiction of Prophet Muhammad is a sensitive issue for many Muslims. Islamic literature shows how Muslims used textual imagery to give a vivid picture of the prophet. - [Muslim schools are allies in France’s fight against radicalization – not the cause]( Carol Ferrara, Emerson College School reforms pushed by French President Emmanuel Macron are aimed at pushing Muslim students into public schools. An expert explains why this may be the wrong approach. Education - [Kids as young as 3 years old think YouTube is better for learning than other types of video]( Brenna Hassinger-Das, Pace University ; Rebecca Dore, The Ohio State University YouTube may have more potential to encourage children to learn than you'd think. From our International Editions - [Lessons from around the world on fighting COVID’s second wave]( Jimmy Whitworth, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Here's what the west can learn from South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and more. - [The perils of mixing music and politics in Nigeria]( Garhe Osiebe, Rhodes University When pop star D'banj signed up to help get Goodluck Jonathan elected president, fans turned on him. But a hit song turned things around. - [Why the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine is now a global game changer]( Michael Head, University of Southampton What does this announcement mean for the world? It's potentially huge. You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? 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