Tamika M. Reese, in fulfilling the requirements for an EdD program in Educational and Professional Practice, has written and published a dissertation titled Shades of Discipline: A Narrative Inquiry Exploring Black Girls’ Experiences of Colorism and Exclusionary Discipline through the Lens of the Domains of Power.
Reese examines disparities in exclusionary school discipline faced by Black girls, the fastest-growing group affected by suspensions, expulsions, and law enforcement referrals. National data show that Black girls are significantly more likely to be suspended than white girls, yet little research has considered the role of skin tone in these outcomes. Using qualitative narrative inquiry and expanding Patricia Hill Collins’s Matrix of Domination, Reese amplifies the voices of five Black girls of varying skin tones and eight school leaders involved in disciplinary decisions. Her findings reveal that darker-skinned Black girls are more likely to be labeled as aggressive and punished harshly for subjective behaviors, while lighter-skinned peers are perceived as compliant and given second chances. The research underscores how implicit bias, systemic inequities, and intersecting domains of power—structural, cultural, disciplinary, and interpersonal—shape disciplinary outcomes. Reese calls for culturally responsive practices, implicit bias training, restorative justice, and stronger leadership accountability to disrupt the criminalization of Black girls and advance equity in school discipline.
Reese is CEO and Principal Consultant of ShiftView Consulting, LLC, where she leads transformative efforts in diversity, equity, inclusion, cultural humility, and anti-racism across education, nonprofit, and financial sectors.
Read and download Reese’s dissertation, Shades of Discipline: A Narrative Inquiry Exploring Black Girls’ Experiences of Colorism and Exclusionary Discipline through the Lens of the Domains of Power, here.
