The ongoing project “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst” examines how play—an essential aspect of childhood—becomes a site of tension for Black parenthood in America as they navigate society’s gaze of Black youth through the lens of adultification, responsibility, and survival. This work traces reflections on coming of age while navigating systemic societal expectations for how to be a Black youth in America, through moments of play as both acts of joy and resistance.