“From a young age we are taught to please others before we please ourselves,” 19-year-old Ameera York-James said to the two other girls sitting at the table. They agreed – strength is mandatory, weakness must be secreted away.

“We hide everything,” York-James added. “We don’t walk down the street with our shoulders high. We show no emotion because we have to.”

The three girls come from different backgrounds. Their common denominator is their race; all three are Black. Their table chat was broadcast on YouTube by the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Delaware Chapter (NCBW Delaware) accompanying a presentation on a first-of-its-kind study in Delaware. The study, conducted by the University of Delaware, dove into the lived experiences of 70 Black girls in Delaware. 

“Black women and girls are among the most vulnerable populations in the world, not just in Delaware,” said Sherese Brewington-Carr, first vice president of NCBW Delaware.  “In just about any category you can think of  – health outcomes, economics, workforce, safety – we face too many inequities to count.”

The chapter’s women wanted to know more. They wanted to know the true feelings of Black girls in the state and what they could do to help. And, moreover, what policies need to change to assist Black girls. Thus, they commissioned the study, calling it “State of our Union: Black Girls in Delaware.” The findings were, according to the study’s lead researcher, both heartbreaking and hopeful.

Research Associate Katrina Morrison began her presentation with a picture of a young woman who witnessed a black female peer being thrown from her school desk by a police officer.  Because the pictured girl encouraged her fellow students to record the interaction, she was arrested. Nationally, research shows Black girls are viewed as less innocent than white peers, more likely to be seen as older than their age by adults, and are more severely punished in school.

“Black girls are devalued on the basis of race and on the basis of sex. Oftentimes this happens simultaneously creating unique experiences of oppression,” said Morrison, who works in the Center for Research, Education and Social Policy and conducted the study at the behest of UD’s Partnership for Healthy Communities. 

For Black girls in Delaware, weathering is a major issue. Think of how an object left outside year round, starts to break down, losing its vibrancy and beginning to crack. Weathering caused by systemic racism, discrimination and adversity erodes Black girls’ physical and mental health over time. 

“That lands heavy for me,” Morrison said. “Thinking about the subtle ways that situations and experiences could be tearing at our health.” 

When asked about their experiences with racism, majorities of the girls said they had suffered insults (62%of respondents) and distinctly remembered instances where assumptions were made that each was not smart (60% of girls ages 14-19).  

“I was actually told at my school that I was smart for a Black girl,” one preteen told the researchers. Another described her situation at school as tenuous: “physically I feel safe. Emotionally, it’s a little murky.” 

A near majority (48% of respondents) said they had been in a situation where they felt someone feared them. And, 35% reported having been closely watched in stores. Forty-two percent indicated their families have experienced racism. 

Hannah Carter, age 18, another member of the presentation’s table chat, discussed her experience growing up across the street from a white supremacist. 

“When you’re 5, you don’t understand why you suddenly can’t play with your neighbors. You don’t understand why someone is making threats against your family. You don’t understand why the color of your skin makes you so worthy of this kind of mistreatment,” she said. 

Surveys and focus groups

Researchers conducted the study using an online survey and focus groups. Questions included personal experiences as well as measures of health, like sleeping patterns. The findings revealed the girls are not logging nearly enough hours of sleep. Just one quarter of the youngest girls surveyed, ages 10-13, slept 9 hours or more per night. The  American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends children in that age range regularly sleep 9–12 hours per 24 hours. For teenagers,  the recommendation is 8–10 hours. Only 18% of teen girls surveyed were meeting that goal. The deleterious effects of sleep deprivation are widely known. For teens, lack of sleep can affect not only thinking and decision-making, but can inhibit their physical development and emotional health.

Interview questions also dug into the girls’ feelings of safety, which researchers identified as a massive challenge for Black girls in Delaware. Only one third felt safe at school. Some feared a gun or bomb incident would take place. For others, the fear was rooted in the actions of their teachers. 

Meanwhile, most participants reported living with caring, supportive families that create a feeling of safety in their homes and reported feeling safe in their communities. But, when asked “are there adults in your city or town who listen to what you have to say?” half of the respondents said there were not. 

“We need to think about the ways in which our neighborhoods and communities are lifting up Black girls, are making them feel welcome, are making them feel valued,” Morrison said. 

Outside of their homes and neighborhoods, the girls described how they do not feel they are able to be their authentic selves in many environments. 

For instance, York-James described how when she arrives at her job, she has to turn on her “watered down Black girl” persona. 

“We have to code switch because if we don’t we are seen as a threat; we’re seen as unprofessional and unintelligent. And, it’s quite frankly the opposite.” 

Still, despite these challenges, researchers found that by and large the girls maintained healthy views of themselves and their characters.  The respondents highly valued social justice, generosity and empathy. Seventy-seven percent indicated it is highly important to give time or money to make life better for other people. Nearly the same number valued speaking up for and ensuring equality. 

Carter said the findings made her optimistic. “Even though racism is still alive and well, at the same time, more people are willing to stand up against it,” she said. “This (survey) is the kind of thing we need in our community to know we are not alone.” 

The full study and five white papers detailing both the findings and suggestions for policy enhancements can be found on the NCBW Delaware website. 

“We want it to be essential reading for folks,” said NCBW Delaware President Melanie Daniels. “What we have been doing is trying to inundate the entire state, in as many areas as possible with these policy briefs.  

NCBW Delaware’s next step is to convene a meeting of legislators, nonprofit leaders, health professionals, advocates and others to discuss interventions and potential solutions to some of the issues facing Black girls. Daniels says she wants participants to thoroughly read the research prior to attending. The event is tentatively scheduled for April, giving those who care deeply about the health and wellbeing of Black girls plenty of time to complete their homework.