Hosts: Kwamara Denise, Sope Ogunyemi, Yasmine Fillmore

Featured guests: Sharita Thompson, Adeela Hussain Johnson, Olusola Tribble

Having the race conversation is often fraught with difficult emotions. While our white counterparts often try to shield their children from such discussions to prolong their innocence, unfortunately, parents of Black children are not afforded that luxury. Many Balck students often confront racism by age four and are adutified by age 9. We have to teach our children hyper vigilance, the beauty of their skin, their hair texture, their features. And the conversation is ongoing throughout our lifetimes.

Adultification is a form of racial prejudice where children of minority groups, typically Black children, are treated by adults as being more mature than they actually are. Actions committed by these children that would be deemed normal for child development are more likely to be treated as opportunities for discipline and children are more likely to be seen as having malicious intentions. A clear example of this bias in action is when a Black child is assumed to be older than their actual age. These perceptions could in turn perpetuate the maturity of Black children and the assumptions of adults.

Resources -

https://genderjusticeandopportunity.georgetown.edu/adultification-bias/

https://www.pbs.org/parents/talking-about-racism