The 2020 MLA convention theme is “Being Human;” however, one must realize the presence of a person prior to considering their nature, condition, and impact on society. As Toni Morrison stated after writing The Bluest Eye, black female children and adolescents are often the “most vulnerable, most undescribed, not taken seriously" characters in literature. Despite increased attention to them in recent years, black girls still commonly exist only as backstory or props for more centralized characters. Therefore, this panel seeks to correct this oversight and encourage more hearty academic conversations on various past and contemporary depictions of black girls in literature.