Just as Black people have faced marginalization and exclusion, mature individuals have also been subject to ageism and stereotyping. In a society that values youth and beauty, older adults are often overlooked and undervalued. However, this demographic is also crucial to our society, with mature individuals bringing a wealth of experience, wisdom, and knowledge to the table.
Thus, the Black mature adult has always been a subversive figure: one who survived against the odds and passed the flame to the next generation.
This caregiving is not merely familial; it is political. By raising children in unstable economic conditions, Black elders are performing an unpaid, unacknowledged social service that saves the state billions in foster care costs.