Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T06:46:35.388Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

3 - Black Girlhood: Developmental Experiences of Black Women

from Part I - Black Women in Context

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 June 2023

Donna Baptiste
Affiliation:
Northwestern University, Illinois
Adia Gooden
Affiliation:
Unconditionally Worthy, Co.
Get access

Summary

This chapter examines themes in Black women’s childhood experiences. We discuss the importance of sex and gender identity development and other dynamics that affect Black girls’ self-concepts. We explore themes that surface when Black women’s girlhood experiences are the primary reasons for seeking therapy. Themes include the impact of the media on Black girls’ body image, the “adultification” of Black girls, sexual development, teenage parenting, and more. We emphasize how therapists can work with Black women around their painful childhood and adolescent memories.

Type
Chapter
Information
Promoting Black Women's Mental Health
What Practitioners Should Know and Do
, pp. 65 - 87
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Books

Bryant-Davis, T. (Ed.). (2019). Multicultural feminist therapy: Helping adolescent girls of color to thrive. American Psychological Association.Google Scholar
Gorman, A. (2021). The hill we climb and other poems. Penguin Young Readers Group.Google Scholar
Hurston, Z. N. (1937). Their eyes were watching God. J. B. Lippincott & Co.Google Scholar
Mans, J. (1982). Black girl, call home. Berkeley.Google Scholar
Morris, M. (2016). Pushout: The criminalization of Black girls in schools. New Press.Google Scholar
Shange, N. (1974). For colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf. Simon and Schuster.Google Scholar
Thomas, A. (2017). The hate u give. HarperCollins.Google Scholar
Walker, A. (1982). The color purple. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.Google Scholar

Films

Berry, D. C., & Duke, B. (Directors). (2011). Dark girls [Film]. RLJ Entertainment.Google Scholar
Egbuonu, O. (Director). (2020). Invisible portraits [Film]. Independently Published.Google Scholar
Rees, D., Cooper, N., Pierce, W., Oduye, A., Walker, P., Mellesse, S., Wright, G., Wise, D., Lewis, C., Anders, M., & Craig, K. (2007). Pariah [Film]. Northstar Pictures.Google Scholar

Media Sources

Cooper, A. (2021, June 2). Cooper speaks with children years later on effects of racial bias in their childhood [Video]. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2021/06/02/racial-bias-children-cooper-pkg-ac360.cnnGoogle Scholar
Watkins, Z. S. (2016, August 2). Growing up as a black girl. Odyssey. https://www.theodysseyonline.com/growing-up-as-black-girlGoogle Scholar

References

Anderson, R. E., & Stevenson, H. C. (2019). RECASTing racial stress and trauma: Theorizing the healing potential of racial socialization in families. American Psychologist, 74(1), 6375.Google Scholar
Aston, C., Graves, S., McGoey, K., Lovelace, T., & Townsend, T. (2018). Promoting sisterhood: The impact of a culturally focused program to address verbally aggressive behaviors in Black girls. Psychology in the Schools, 55(1), 5062.Google Scholar
Bachanas, P. J., Morris, M. K., Lewis-Gess, J. K., Sarett-Cuasay, E. J., Sirl, K., Ries, J. K., & Sawyer, M. K. (2002). Predictors of risky sexual behavior in African American adolescent girls: Implications for prevention interventions. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 27, 519530.Google Scholar
Benner, A. D., Wang, Y., Shen, Y., Boyle, A. E., Polk, R., & Cheng, Y. P. (2018). Racial/ethnic discrimination and well-being during adolescence: A meta-analytic review. American Psychologist, 73(7), 855883.Google Scholar
Brown, D. L., Rosnick, C. B., Griffin-Fennell, F. D., & White-Johnson, R. L. (2017). Initial development of a gendered-racial socialization scale for African American college women. Sex Roles, 77(3–4), 178193.Google Scholar
Buckley, T. R., & Carter, R. T. (2005). Black adolescent girls: Do gender role and racial Identity: Impact their self-esteem? Sex Roles, 53(9–10), 647661.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Butler‐Barnes, S. T., Leath, S., Williams, A., Byrd, C., Carter, R. & Chavous, T. M. (2017a). Promoting resilience among African American girls: Racial identity as a protective factor. Child Development, 89 (6), e552e571.Google Scholar
Butler-Barnes, S. T., Varner, F., Williams, A., & Sellers, R. (2017b). Academic identity: A longitudinal investigation of African American adolescents’ academic persistence. Journal of Black Psychology, 43(7), 714739.Google Scholar
Butler‐Barnes, S. T., Richardson, B. L., Chavous, T. M., & Zhu, J. (2019). The importance of racial socialization: School‐based racial discrimination and racial identity among African American adolescent boys and girls. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 29(2), 432448.Google Scholar
Carter, J. (2015). A call to action: Women, religion, violence, and power. Simon & Schuster.Google Scholar
Celious, A., & Oyserman, D. (2001). Race from the inside: An emerging heterogeneous race model. Journal of Social Issues, 57, 149165.Google Scholar
Chavous, T. M., Rivas-Drake, D., Smalls, C., Griffin, T., & Cogburn, C. (2008). Gender matters, too: The influences of school racial discrimination and racial identity on academic engagement outcomes among African American adolescents. Developmental Psychology, 44(3), 637654.Google Scholar
Clark, K. B., & Clark, M. K. (1947). Racial identification and preference in Negro children. In Newcomb, T. & Hartley, E. (Eds.), Readings in social psychology. Holt.Google Scholar
CNN. (2010b, May 14). Study: White and black children biased toward lighter skin. http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/05/13/doll.study/index.htmlGoogle Scholar
Cooper, A. (2021, June 2). Cooper speaks with children years later on effects of racial bias in their childhood [Video]. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2021/06/02/racial-bias-children-cooper-pkg-ac360.cnnGoogle Scholar
Crenshaw, K., Ocen, P., & Nanda, J. (2015 ). Black girls matter: Pushed out, overpoliced and underprotected. African American Policy Forum & Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies. http://static1.squarespace.com/static/53f20d90e4b0b80451158d8c/t/54dcc1ece4b001c03e323448/1423753708557/AAPF_BlackGirlsMatterReport.pdfGoogle Scholar
Crosnoe, R. (2011). Fitting in, standing out: Navigating the social challenges of high school to get an education. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Davis Tribble, B. L., Allen, S. H., Hart, J. R., Francois, T. S., & Smith-Bynum, M. A. (2019). “No [right] way to be a black woman”: Exploring gendered racial socialization among black women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 43(3), 381397. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361684318825439Google Scholar
Epstein, R., Blake, J., & González, T. (2017). Girlhood interrupted: The erasure of black girls’ childhood. SSRN Electronic Journal, 3000695.Google Scholar
Gerding, S. A., & Aubrey, J. (2018). Sexualization, youthification, and adultification: A content analysis of images of girls and women in popular magazines. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 95(3), 625646.Google Scholar
Gooden, A. S., & McMahon, S. D. (2016). Thriving among African‐American adolescents: Religiosity, religious support, and communalism. American Journal of Community Psychology, 57(1–2), 118128. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12026Google Scholar
Hamlat, E. J., Stange, J. P., Abramson, L. Y., & Alloy, L. B. (2014). Early pubertal timing as a vulnerability to depression symptoms: Differential effects of race and sex. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 42(4), 527538. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-013-9798-9Google Scholar
Herman-Giddens, M. E. (2013). The enigmatic pursuit of puberty in girls. Pediatrics, 132(6), 11251126.Google Scholar
Holland, M. M. (2012). Only here for the day: The social integration of minority students at a majority white high school. Sociology of Education, 85(2), 101120.Google Scholar
Hughes, D., Rodriguez, J., Smith, E. P., Johnson, D. J., Stevenson, H. C., & Spicer, P. (2006). Parents’ ethnic-racial socialization practices: A review of research and directions for future study. Developmental Psychology, 42(5), 747770.Google Scholar
Jones, J. M., Lee, L. H., Matlack, A., & Zigarelli, J. (2018). Using sisterhood networks to cultivate ethnic identity and enhance school engagement. Psychology in the Schools, 55(1), 2035.Google Scholar
Jones, M. K., & Day, S. X. (2018). An exploration of Black women’s gendered racial identity using a multidimensional and intersectional approach. Sex Roles, 79(1–2), 115.Google Scholar
Kann, L., McManus, T., Harris, W. A., Shanklin, S. L., Flint, K. H., Queen, B., & Lim, C. (2018). Youth risk behavior surveillance – United States, 2017. MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 67(8), 1114.Google Scholar
Kaplan, D. L., Jones, E. J., Olsen, E. C., & Yunzal-Butler, C. B. (2013). Early age of first sex and health risk in an urban adolescent population. Journal of School Health, 83, 350356.Google Scholar
Kosciw, J. G., Greytak, E. A., Zongrone, A. D., Clark, C. M., & Truong, N. L.(2018). The 2017 National School Climate Survey: The experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth in our nation’s schools. Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). https://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/GLSEN-2017-National-School-Climate-Survey-NSCS-Full-Report.pdfGoogle Scholar
Lei, J. L. (2003). (Un) necessary toughness? Those “loud Black girls” and those “quiet Asian boys.Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 34(2), 158181.Google Scholar
Lerner, R. M., Lerner, J. V., Almerigi, J. B., Theokas, C., Phelps, E., Gestsdottir, S., Naudeau, S., Jelicic, H., Alberts, A., Ma, L., Smith, L. M., Bobek, D. L., Richman-Raphael, D., Christiansen, E. D., & Von Eye, A. (2005). Positive youth development, participation in community youth development programs, and community contributions of fifth-grade adolescents: Findings from the first wave of the 4-H study of positive youth development. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 25(1), 1771.Google Scholar
Lorde, A. (1984) Sister outsider: Essays and speeches. Crossing Press.Google Scholar
Martin, J. A., Hamilton, B. E., & Osterman, M. J. K. (2018). Births in the United States, 2017 (NCHS data brief no. 318). National Center for Health Statistics.Google Scholar
Martin, L. (2021, June 8). “Representation matters,” Sales of diverse dolls booming at mall kiosk in Brockton. CBS Boston. https://boston.cbslocal.com/2021/06/08/widline-pyrame-fusion-dolls-brockton-westgate-mall-kiosk/Google Scholar
Morris, E. W. (2007). “Ladies” or “loudies”? Perceptions and experiences of Black girls in classrooms. Youth and Society, 38(4), 490515.Google Scholar
Morris, M. W. (2019). Countering the adultification of Black girls. Educational Leadership, 76(7), 4448.Google Scholar
Neblett, E. W., Banks, K. H., Cooper, S. M., & Smalls-Glover, C. (2013). Racial identity mediates the association between ethnic racial socialization and depressive symptoms. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 19(2), 200207. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032205Google Scholar
Nishina, A., Bellmore, A., Witkow, M. R., & Nylund-Gibson, K. (2010). Longitudinal consistency of adolescent ethnic identification across varying school ethnic contexts. Developmental Psychology, 46(6), 13891401.Google Scholar
Peck, S. C., Brodish, A. B., Malanchuk, O., Banerjee, M., & Eccles, J.S. (2014). Racial/ethnic socialization and identity development in Black families: The role of parent and youth reports. Developmental Psychology, 50(7), 18971909.Google Scholar
Peters, M. (1985). Racial socialization of young Black children. In Pipes McAdoo, H. & McAdoo, J. L. (Eds.), Black children: Social, educational, and parental environments (pp. 159174). Sage.Google Scholar
Pflieger, J. C., Cook, E. C., Niccolai, L. M., & Connell, C. M. (2013). Racial/ethnic differences in patterns of sexual risk behavior and rates of sexually transmitted infections among female young adults. American Journal of Public Health, 103(5), 903909.Google Scholar
Rees, D., Cooper, N., Pierce, W., Oduye, A., Walker, P., Mellesse, S., Wright, G., Wise, D., Lewis, C., Anders, M., & Craig, K. (2007). Pariah [Film]. Northstar Pictures.Google Scholar
Reynolds, B. M., & Juvonen, J. (2012). Pubertal timing fluctuations across middle school: Implications for girls’ psychological health. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 41(6), 677690.Google Scholar
Rivas‐Drake, D., Syed, M., Umaña‐Taylor, A., Markstrom, C., French, S., & Schwartz, S. J., & Ethnic and Racial Identity in the 21st Century Study Group. (2014). Feeling good, happy, and proud: A meta‐analysis of positive ethnic–racial affect and adjustment. Child Development, 85(1), 77102.Google Scholar
Roberts, S. (2013). Order and dispute: An introduction to legal anthropology. Quid Pro Books.Google Scholar
Ross, T., Kena, G., Rathbun, A., KewalRamani, A., Zhang, J., Kristapovich, P., & Manning, E. (2012). Higher education: Gaps in access and persistence. National Center for Education Statistics.Google Scholar
Salsberry, P. J., Reagan, P. B., & Pajer, K. (2009). Growth differences by age of menarche in African American and White girls. Nursing Research, 58(6), 382390.Google Scholar
Search Institute. (2018). Developmental assets among U.S. youth: 2018 update. https://www.search-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DataSheet-Assets-x-Gender-2018-update.pdfGoogle Scholar
Sellers, R. M., Chavous, T. M., & Cooke, D. Y. (1998). Racial ideology and racial centrality as predictors of African American college students’ academic performance. Journal of Black Psychology, 24, 827.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sellers, R. M., Copeland‐Linder, N., Martin, P. P., & Lewis, R. L. H. (2006). Racial identity matters: The relationship between racial discrimination and psychological functioning in African American adolescents. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 16(2), 187216.Google Scholar
Smith‐Bynum, M. A., Anderson, R. E., Davis, B. L., Franco, M. G., & English, D. (2016). Observed racial socialization and maternal positive emotions in African American mother–adolescent discussions about racial discrimination. Child Development, 87(6), 19261939.Google Scholar
Stephens, D. P., & Phillips, L. D. (2003). Freaks, gold diggers, divas, and dykes: The sociohistorical development of adolescent African American women’s sexual scripts. Sexuality and Culture, 7, 349.Google Scholar
Stettler, N. M., & Katz, L. F. (2017). Minority stress, emotion regulation, and the parenting of sexual-minority youth. Journal of GLBT Family Studies, 13(4), 380400.Google Scholar
Stevenson, H. C., Cameron, R., Herrero-Taylor, T., & Davis, G. Y. (2002). Development of the teenager experience of racial socialization scale: Correlates of race-related socialization frequency from the perspective of Black youth. Journal of Black Psychology, 28(2), 84106.Google Scholar
Stokes, M., Hope, E., Cryer-Coupet, Q., & Elliot, E. (2020). Black girl blues: The roles of racial socialization, gendered racial socialization, and racial identity on depressive symptoms among Black girls. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 49(11), 21752189.Google Scholar
Suárez-Orozco, C. (2004). Formulating identity in a globalized world. In Suárez-Orozco, M. M. & Qin-Hilliard, D. B. (Eds.), Globalization: Culture and education in the new millennium (pp. 173202). University of California Press.Google Scholar
Tanner-Smith, E. E. (2010). Negotiating the early developing body: Pubertal timing, body weight, and adolescent girls’ substance use. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 39(12), 14021416.Google Scholar
Tareen, R. S. (2015). Substance abuse and adolescent girls. International Public Health Journal, 7(2), 191207.Google Scholar
Thomas, A. J., & Blackmon, S. M. (2015). The influence of the Trayvon Martin shooting on racial socialization practices of African American parents. Journal of Black Psychology, 41(1), 7589.Google Scholar
Thomas, O., Davidson, W., & McAdoo, H. (2008). An evaluation study of the Young Empowered Sisters (YES!) Program: Promoting cultural assets among African American adolescent girls through a culturally relevant school-based intervention. Journal of Black Psychology, 34, 281308.Google Scholar
Umaña‐Taylor, A. J., & Hill, N. E. (2020). Ethnic–racial socialization in the family: A decade’s advance on precursors and outcomes. Journal of Marriage and Family, 82(1), 244271.Google Scholar
Umaña-Taylor, A. J., Quintana, S. M., Lee, R. M., Cross, W. E., Rivas-Drake, D., Schwartz, S. J., Yip, T., & Ethnic and Racial Identity in the 21st Century Study Group. (2014). Ethnic and racial identity during adolescence and into young adulthood: An integrated conceptualization. Child Development, 85(1), 2139.Google Scholar
Watkins, Z. S. (2016, August 2). Growing up as a Black girl. Odyssey. https://www.theodysseyonline.com/growing-up-as-black-girlGoogle Scholar
Way, N., Hernández, M. G., Rogers, L. O., & Hughes, D. L. (2013). “I’m not going to become no rapper”: Stereotypes as a context of ethnic and racial identity development. Journal of Adolescent Research, 284(4), 407430.Google Scholar
Yasui, M. (2015). A review of the empirical assessment of processes in ethnic–racial socialization: Examining methodological advances and future areas of development. Developmental Review, 37, 140.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×