What does summer feel like when you’re a Black girl coming of age? For artist Shana Dixon, it looks like hand games on the block, braids done on the stoop, logging into the family computer, sleepovers, and mall trips that meant drifting past Limited Too and Claire’s — even hitting milestones like your first piercing.
Yesterday, Dixon released Another Summer in My Childhood, a series of animations capturing those moments. Posted to TikTok, the project resonated instantly, drawing more than 349.2k views and 138.6k likes within a day.
In her caption, Dixon made it clear this was about closing this summer with intention. “Another Summer in My Childhood. A collection of memories I’ve animated this year. As the summer season comes to a close, and the school year leers just around the corner, I like to make one last animation that captures the warmth and freedom of Summer. Though these little animations represent memories from my childhood, I hope it bring joy to all of us who wish for Summer to linger just a little bit longer.”
A Time Capsule in Motion
Part of the pull is how Dixon translates memory into sensory detail. The animations are scored with soundscapes: snippets of familiar shows, popular songs, and bits of foley that make the memories feel lived in. Watching them feels like stepping back into the late ’90s and early 2000s, when summers stretched long and girlhood milestones came tucked inside everyday rituals.
The comments reflect that resonance. One TikTok user wrote, “AI will never have this type of warmth or understanding of stuff like this.” It’s a reminder that Dixon’s work doesn’t just depict memories; it carries the human touch that makes them feel like yours, too.
Why Black Girlhood Stories Matter
That’s what makes Another Summer in My Childhood stand out. Too often, Black girlhood is overlooked or told from the outside. Dixon’s animations center it, giving weight to the ordinary moments that shaped a generation — the stoop, the sleepover, the mall trip. By treating these experiences as art, she shows they’re not small at all; they’re part of a living archive of Black life.
As this summer ends, Dixon’s collection lingers as both a farewell and a reminder: telling Black girlhood stories ensures they’re not just remembered, but honored.
Watch Shana Dixon’s Another Summer in My Childhood below:
Cover photo: / Credit: Shana Dixon, Another Summer in My Childhood (Instagram)
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