Nolan Wells’ Mother Calls Out the Adultification of Black Children
According to the law, a Black boy becomes a man at age 18. But what happens when that legal definition changes the way we see his humanity? For Christine Wells-Wonsley, her son Nolan Wells was still a child when he died, and she wants people to remember him that way.
Wonsley and her husband sat down for an interview with NBC News reporter Yasmine Vossoughian after a Mississippi grand jury declined to bring criminal charges connected to his death. During the emotional conversation, Vossoughian referred to Nolan as a “man.” And Wonsley quickly stepped in to clarify.
“Let’s not call him a man because [at] 18, you’re still a teenager,” she told the reporter. “I know by law you’re an adult. Nolan was—he was a boy. He was a child. He was our child. So, for everyone watching, please stop referring to him as a man because he was a teenager. He was 18 when he left this earth.”
Her insistence on using the word “boy” is about more than semantics. It speaks to a long American history of denying Black children the protections traditionally associated with childhood.
Researchers have documented adultification bias as the tendency to perceive Black children as older, more mature and more responsible for their actions than they actually are.
For Black boys in particular, that perception can mean their vulnerability and innocence are overlooked.
We’ve been following the updates surrounding Wells’s mysterious death following a July 4 trip to Horn Island with friends. The case sparked national debates about race and the media’s handling of Black deaths.
But his story reminds us that Black children are too often perceived as less innocent and more deserving of scrutiny than their peers.
That history stretches back to slavery, when Black children were forced into labor and treated as property. The legacy of that dehumanization did not disappear with emancipation. The idea that Black children are somehow older, tougher or less innocent has continued to shape how they are treated in schools and in the criminal justice system.
In light of all of the unanswered questions surrounding her son’s death, Wonsley’s request carries weight.
“The only thing we have asked for since day one is an honest, transparent, fair investigation,” Wonsley said during a Tuesday (Sept. 22) news conference following the grand jury’s decision. “Treat our son the way you would treat your child or someone you love. And unfortunately, we do not feel we’ve received that.”
The grand jury concluded that the circumstances were consistent with drowning. But the state medical examiner and an independent pathologist hired by Wells’ family both classified the cause and manner of death as undetermined, we previously reported.
Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath announced the findings in a 15-minute video posted to Facebook. In the video, McIlrath also called out activists like civil rights attorney Ben Crump – who represents the Wells family – for stoking racial tensions in Mississippi and beyond.
But according to Wonsley, the questions still surrounding her son’s death are deeply personal. So is the language used to describe him.
“Last night was a reminder that our son’s life does not matter to those who hold positions that are supposed to serve and protect the public,” Wonsley continued during the press conference through tears. “Nolan is loved. He is cherished. He is honored. And he did not deserve to have his life taken away so suddenly.”
