Girlhood Interrupted: The Erasure of Black Girls’ Childhood

This groundbreaking 2017 study provided data for the first time revealing that the adults surveyed viewed Black girls as less innocent and more adult-like than white girls of the same age, especially between 5–14 years old (p. 2). The research revealed that adults viewed Black girls as needing less nurturing, protection, comfort, and support, and documented other dimensions of the “adultification” of young Black girls. A thoughtful 2-minute video about this topic is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKzEF22fK24 Additional insights on this topic, including personal narratives, are captured in Listening to Black Women and Girls: Lived Experiences of Adultification Bias (https://www.law.georgetown.edu/poverty-inequality-center/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2019/05/Listening-to-Black-Women-and-Girls.pdf)

Resource Type: 

  • Website
  • Video
  • Print

Topic: 

  • Interaction
  • Inclusion

Types of Diversity: 

  • Children and Families who are Culturally, Racially, and Ethnically Diverse