METOO Comes to Philly To Tackle The Adultification of Black Girls
MeToo tackles the adultification of Black girls, unveiling a new public service ad at Philly’s Barnes Foundation during “What Do We Owe Black Children?”
The organization MeToo has been on the forefront of sexual justice movements since its inception. The organization is taking on a new frontier by tackling the adultification of Black girls. During an intimate gathering called “What Do We Owe Black Children?”, community members, parents, and activists gathered at Philadelphia’s Barnes Foundation where MeToo unveiled their newest public service ad entitled “The Rules.” This PSA focuses on the adultification of Black girls and how that adultification contributes to rape culture. The screening was then followed by a panel discussion of experts and survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
Adultification is described by the MeToo organization as “how adult perception of Black girls as less innocent, and more adult-like than their white peers can lead to a greater use of force and harsher punitive outcomes for Black girls.”
A recent study called “Girlhood Interrupted: The Erasure of Black Girls’ Childhood” revealed that many adults believe that Black girls, aged 5 through 19, needed less guidance, less nurturing, and less protection than white girls of the same age. The study also revealed that adults believe Black girls are more independent, know more about adult topics, including sex and sexual health, than white girls.
A follow up study called “Listening to Black Women and Girls: Lived Experiences of Adultification Bias” revealed that adults have far less empathy for Black girls than they do their white counterparts. The study showed that the same negative stereotypes that portray Black women as aggressive or hypersexualized are also projected onto Black girls.
MeToo tackled this very loaded topic at their screening and panel discussion. The panel, moderated by Jos Duncan Asé of Love Now Media, featured coach and consultant Tashmica Torok, healer and activist Aishah Shahidah Simmons, musician and social media star Jessie Woo and film maker Chanel Dupree, who also screened a trailer from her 2024 documentary, You Think You Grown? Dismantling Adultification.
Members of the panel directly addressed their own stories and experiences. They combated myths and misconceptions, and empowered community members and guardians with things to look for, prepare for, and how to better protect our children from sexual violence. Tarana Burke, founder and Chief Vision Officer of MeToo, was also present and spoke briefly as did event organizers and members of the MeToo organization.
Organizers also shared that their upcoming PSA that centers the unique ways Black boys are targeted for sexual violence and how to protect them will be screened in August.
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Whitney Roberts
Whitney Roberts is a Philadelphia writer, podcaster, and content creator featured by the NAACP, Wired, NBC, and more. She contributes to outlets like TheRoot and NPR, amplifying diverse voices and stories.
