It was a reflection of a larger, well-documented problem: Black children are routinely perceived as older than they actually are. This phenomenon has a name: adultification bias. The expectation that Black children should shoulder adult responsibilities — and be held to adult standards their white peers are not — is deeply rooted and widely normalized. When Black children are viewed as older, their behavior is more likely to be criminalized rather than corrected. She is also a Public Voices fellow of The OpEd Project in partnership with the National Black Child Development Institute and the proud mother of an 11-year-old son.

Source: Huffington Post January 15, 2026 13:18 UTC