Episode 5: Freedom to Move, Freedom to Be?

In this episode, we will explore the normalization of harassment in some communities of color. Specifically, we will discuss how the adultification of Black teens impacts their mobility, safety, and bodily autonomy, and how these restrictions become everyday experiences of over-policing and sexual harassment.

We hear from a young person who participated in our Adolescent X study who shares her experience of being harassed while taking the CTA to and from school. In response to these stories, psychologist and University of Chicago researcher Dr. Darnell Motley talk about the process and impact of adultifying Black children and teens, And clinician and faculty researcher Dr. Melissa Gilliam discuss youth bodily autonomy.

Frankly. is a podcast that explores the health and wellbeing of adolescents from the perspectives and lived experiences of young people on Chicago’s South and West sides. Co-produced by Chicago youth Kaya Thomas and Alizha Vernon and Ci3 at the University of Chicago, Frankly. is a seven-episode series that builds on the findings from Ci3’s Adolescent X study, a research project that uses narrative-based research methods to explore the messages that young people receive about their bodies, identities, and sexual health. Frankly. centers the voices of young people marginalized by race, gender, and/or sexual orientation as they navigate various social environments, develop their identities, and understand the world around them. Frankly aims to contextualize the stories of young people by examining the ways in which structural barriers and institutions impede on their health and wellbeing.