The State of Mississippi still officially lists both the cause and manner of Nolan Wells' death as undetermined. Not homicide. But not accidental drowning either. Undetermined. The state's own autopsy says the circumstances surrounding his death were unknown and therefore the cause and manner were best classified as undetermined. The family-commissioned examination reached the same ultimate classification. So let's conduct this conversation the way evidence is

Black parents often celebrate the photo of their child as the only Black face in a White circle. But access is not acceptance, and acceptance is not protection. The Nolan Wells case raises a harder question: when the moment turns dangerous, who is responsible for making sure our child comes home? This piece examines adultification, unequal risks, and the Come-Home Rules every Black family should discuss.