A Black student who attended predominantly white schools in the Midwest, Hawkins is particularly interested in the issues of corporal punishment — which remains legal in many states — and disproportionate discipline against Black and brown students.
Despite the recent surge in attention, he calls for more coverage of inequalities in schools, which so often result in students of color being disciplined, suspended, or beaten.
“Some media organizations simply don’t care because their readers can’t relate to the experience,” says Hawkins. But it’s not just editors, he says. “Some of these realities touch people in so tender a place that they almost don’t want to report on it.”