Girls
Chardonnay Beaver - Words of Wisdom by Char Column
Influential Speaker, Storyteller, Creator of WOWbyChar, and University of Washington Student.
Girls will one day become women. For that reason, let them be girls. Regarding Black girls, protect them.Western society prematurely labels Black girls as women because of their maturity level, stereotypes, and history. To that point, let’s discuss adultification.
Adultification is the process in which children are prematurely tasked with functioning under the standards of adulthood. Finally, an academic term that speaks to our childhood experiences! Whether you grew-up on 23rd & Union in 1993 or suffered from familial trauma, the environment in which Black children develop is imperative to their ultimate identity complex.
To that point, consider the concerns we have placed on our Black girls shoulders to carry a heavy-load they did not create? Topics like: body-image, beauty, skin color (colorism), language, and behavior. These girls are children. The narratives that proclaim otherwise perpetuates the idea that Black girls can not be delicate, innocent, or precious because of their race. In addition, Black men I urge you to honor the sacred existence of Black women. Obtain consciousness in order to demonstrate cultural uplift. Today's generation is tomorrow's blueprint―what’s our foundation?To the Black girl who cries out for validation, attention, and affection because society deems them as unlovable― I hear you. To the Black girl trapped inside the Black women, with so much healing to be done that it just seems too unbearable― I see you. To the Black girl who’s evolving into a woman, daring to dream― I am you.
