The world loves spreading these three lies about Black children. Not only are they false, but they cause real harm. How many of these have you heard? And how can we ensure they end with us?
Lie #1: Black Children Are "Too Grown"
When phrases like "too grown" are used to describe our children, particularly girls, it contributes to the adultification of Black children by dismissing their innocence. There are real-world implications to this, especially in the criminal legal system where Black children are routinely held to adult standards.
Lie #2: Black Children Are "Bad"
Black children are labeled "bad" when they're acting like all children. The consequences of this are the school-to-prison pipeline, where Black children are more often and severely punished, starting as early as preschool.
Lie #3: Black Children Aren't Worthy
According to Dr. Joy DeGruy, author of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome, some enslaved people belittled their children to whites as a form of protection. They hoped that by making their children seem less than, enslavers wouldn't bother to tear their families apart. Black children have always been worthy. We shouldn’t let anyone think otherwise.
No matter what our children do, we must protect them. It's our job to flip these scripts. Black children deserve love, care, understanding, and protection.
Black children are vital to the loving world we imagine, so realizing the impact our actions have on our collective future is essential. Let's commit to stopping these lies today.