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Blossom-Paige Dostalie
Mothering Before Motherhood: How the Adultification of Black Girls Influence their Perceptions of Motherhood
Biography
My name is Blossom-Paige, and I’m a fourth-year student studying Professional Communications with a minor in Live Event Management. University has really shown me how creative I am and how much I love the process of seeing an idea come to life, from that first spark to the final product.
I’m especially passionate about Black studies, with a strong focus on Black girlhood and the lived experiences of Black women. That passion shows up in a lot of the work I do, whether it’s research, storytelling, or community-based projects. I care deeply about creating spaces that are intentional, inclusive, and impactful.
Outside of school, I’m driven by my relationships; my community, my friends, and the people who pour into me. I’m always thinking about how to leave things better than I found them, whether that’s in the classroom, at an event, or in everyday life.
Details of Project
As the eldest daughter in a single-parent household, I spent much of my childhood co-parenting with my mother. That lived experience deeply shaped my interest in this research topic, making it both personal and purposeful. Black girls are often denied the freedom to simply be children because of how early they’re expected to take on adult roles. This process, known as adultification, impacts how they navigate school, home, and society at large.
My research explores how these early responsibilities influence Black women’s perceptions of motherhood. I’m particularly interested in whether those experiences lead them to opt out of motherhood altogether, embrace it in a redefined way, or feel conflicted by the weight of that choice. Through a combination of literature review, social media analysis, and secondary data collection, this work aims to amplify the voices of Black women and uncover the long-term effects of adultification on their reproductive choices and sense of autonomy.
Lightning talk
