Oh! You Don't Look Like A Child, BUT Sometimes You Do.

I've recently finished reading an article about Black Childhood. The purpose of the article was to underline how Black children aren't seen as children in times of discipline.

Furthermore, the article also touches on how black children are often seen as older than their non-black peers and how certain stereotypes factor into the treatment of young black kids. As I read the article, I found myself thinking back to my childhood. On occasions, my sisters and I were mistaken as the parents of our cousins or our youngest sibling.

I also thought back to my time in school and how when I would get in "trouble," the teacher would be quick to state that I have an attitude or that I'm too sassy. In a recent encounter, my sister had been pulled over, and my cousin (14) was in the car.

My sister had called me to come outside, and I heard the whole interaction over the phone. The officer believed that my cousin had given him a fake name and was lying about his age. I decided to intervene over the phone, and I told the officer that indeed his name was the one he stated and he was currently a student at the local high school.

I was told to calm down.

I was calm.