Black Students Matter

"From the moment a Black child enters the world, they are at a disadvantage simply because of the color of their skin. The unfair treatment shown towards them often stems from racist stereotypes of Black adults that are passed along to innocent children because of adultification bias. This bias is shown towards Black children by assuming they are older than their actual age and seeing them as less innocent and culpable for their actions (Epstein et. al, n.d.). For example, the "Sapphire" stereotype that Black women are hypersexualized and promiscuous (Epstein et. al, n.d.) appears when a young Black girl is blamed for being sexually assaulted due to her "acting" or "dressing grown". Or the "Savage" stereotype that Black men are aggressive, violent and criminals (DeGruy, 2017) that underlies the decision-making when Black boy gets into a fight with a White boy, but the Black child is the only one punished. In every environment, Black children are treated differently because of adultification bias that robs Black children of their childhood"--