Incarcerating Black youth isolates them from The Village – from their family, schools, friends – and disrupts their relationships, health, development, and opportunities for employment. Youth crime has plummeted, but narratives and disparities persistThe narratives lead us to ask: why can’t Louisiana see Black children as children? Because if the state saw Black children as children (or human beings), it would not treat them this way. The narratives lead us to ask: why can’t Louisiana see Black children as children? Because if the state saw Black children as children (or human beings), it would not treat them this way.