Before I knew the term: encountering Adultification Bias in 2020 | pt 2 — juxtaposed

Selected work — Captured by Photographers Aicha Thomas and Jade Reynolds-Hemmings

Next in this series, I explore the intentions behind the campaign messaging and the techniques used to deliver it.

When talking about adultification bias from the perspective of a young black girl, the most relatable experience or obvious one is that of a firstborn daughter. Across many cultures, the eldest daughter often carries a unique weight of responsibility. Supporting your family in ways you may not have chosen for yourself, becoming dependable beyond your years.

So in early 2023 when myself, Eboni and a few compadres we’re discussing our experiences as black women in the UK, one of the topics that came up alongside many others was ‘Adultification Bias’. Moreso, specifically, the case of Child Q and what took place in late 2020. I remember during this discussion highlighting the point that it’s the most common experience for firstborn daughters.

Over the course of development, we engaged with hundreds of people before the campaign’s eventual launch in 2024. This included workshops with the UK’s Safeguarding and Adultification Bias Lead, alongside conversations with educators, practitioners, creatives, and others interested in where the work could go.

Looking back, some of the most impactful ideas don’t emerge from boardrooms or strategy decks. They emerge from honest conversations, lived experiences, and the shared understanding of what it means to grow up as a firstborn daughter.

Now the big ol’ question of what is more important when it comes to a campaign, but more specifically, a nuanced topic like this one. And it’s both. However, in this instance, the art direction came first, and the messaging accompanied it.

As we developed the campaign, it became important to highlight the stark contrast between what childhood is supposed to look like and the reality experienced by many Black girls affected by adultification bias.

I use the word childhood deliberately here, rather than focusing solely on gender. Adultification is not exclusive to Black girls. However, young Black girls are disproportionately subjected to this treatment, often being perceived as older, less innocent, or more capable than their peers.

The challenge then became: how do you introduce these realities into the public realm in a way that provokes thought without becoming didactic? How do you create something that resonates with both the intended audience and those encountering the issue for the first time?

You juxtapose.

By placing innocence alongside expectation, playfulness alongside responsibility, and childhood alongside adulthood, the contrast becomes impossible to ignore.

In writing, there are countless techniques that can be used to create engagement, demand attention, or shape an audience’s experience. For this campaign, we chose juxtaposition because it allowed us to communicate something complex through a simple visual and emotional contrast.

In my previous article, I briefly explored the workshops that Eboni, Denisse, and I undertook to develop the concepts that would eventually form the first public iteration of the campaign.

Ultimately, my role as Founder and Creative Director is to ensure that every element of a project is working towards the same vision. From the initial concept and messaging strategy through to the art direction and audience experience, I’m interested in creating work that feels cohesive, intentional, and emotionally resonant.

With Let Black Girls Be Girls, juxtaposition became a key device for achieving that-allowing us to translate a complex social issue into a dynamic and visceral experience that invites reflection, conversation, and understanding.

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Thank you for reading.

More can be viewed on Let Black Girls Be Girls or via Instagram at @letblackgirls. 🤎

Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.