LISTEN TO BLACK GIRLS.

They’re experts on their experience and there is no one that can speak to it like they can. They need to be allowed to be the author’s of their experiences and when they decide to do so their opinion should be heard and valued.

DO NOT SEXUALIZE BLACK GIRLS.

Don’t allow your friends or peers to sexualize Black girls, regardless of how hot it is & how little of clothing they have on.

DO NOT POLICE BLACK GIRLS’ BODIES OR HAIR.

Do not target Black girls in situations of school dress code. If they are curvier than non-Black girls and thus attracting more attention, tell the perpetrators to remain focused on school rather than police Black girls’ bodily autonomy. Additionally, in protecting their bodily autonomy, their hair need never be policed or restricted. Black girls are the only girls who are told that the natural versatility of their hair is unprofessional and distracting. Black girls are not pets or zoo animals--no one should be in control of their hair (or lack thereof) except them.

BELIEVE BLACK GIRLS.

Believe Black girls when they disclose their traumatic experiences. Too often, people victim blame or worry more whether, in situations of sexual abuse, the boy/man is wrongly accused (especially if he is a Black) rather than working to support the safety and healing of the actual victim in the situation. Her voice and experience should be believed and respected, just as other non-Black girls are believed in their traumatic abusive experiences.

DO NOT ASK BLACK GIRLS TO SHRINK THEMSELVES.

The protection of Black girls should be largely motivated by the desire for them to feel comfortable in their skin. Thus, nobody should ever tell them that their assertiveness and leadership is intimidating and aggressive. In telling or insinuating that Black girls are taking up too much space (which is impossible), that is an active attempt to shrink their presence.

ALLOW BLACK GIRLS TO LIVE THEIR HONEST TRUTH.

Allow black girls to live their honest truth. There should not be a specific way black girls have to present themselves to gain respect, or fit your idea of what it means to be black or a girl. Every black girl and the way she/they decided to show up in our world is beautiful, valid, and worthy of respect, love and protection.

DO NOT VILLANIZE BLACK GIRLS.

Do not villanize black girls. Black girls are viewed as being aggressive, having attitude, being scary, and being bullies. We are never given the benefit doubt and their portrayal almost always negative light. In reality we face constant abuse that is based in our identity, but nobody shows up for us. Black girls should be able to make mistakes without being “the problem” and their personality shouldn’t be called into question when they do. Stop putting your implicit biases on children who are still growing and learning.

TREAT BLACK GIRLS LIKE THE CHILDREN THEY ARE.

Adultification impacts every part of the black girl experience from trauma rooted in being forced to grow up too early, to sexualization from a grossly young age, to required maturity from black girls that is paired with cruel and unsuspecting punishment when mistakes are made. Black girls are allowed to be children. They are allowed to make mistakes and they are allowed to slip up. When these things happen, it is the responsibility of adults to treat and support them like they would any other child.

TELL BLACK GIRLS THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL.

Tell black girls they are beautiful. Tell them their hair looks pretty too. We tell them they have to look a certain way to be deserving of respect but never allow them into the standard of beauty. We never let them forget that they don’t fit that standard either. Black girls’ beauty should be self defined as well. It shouldn’t be confined to a racist, Eurocentric idea of beauty. It shouldn’t be conditional either.

HONOR THE COMPLEXITY OF BLACK GIRLHOOD

We can better protect black girls by stopping the practice of reducing them to one attribute - black girls aren’t just strong, we aren’t just resilient, we aren’t just successful; and on the other side, we aren’t just angry, we aren’t just sassy, we aren’t just fighters. people need to start acknowledging the versatility, complexity, vulnerability, and multifaceted nature of black girls.