In his project Last Century, Last Week, Smiley investigates the abrupt end to childhood innocence for Black girls, addressing themes of adultification, societal neglect, and violence. Through tender collaborations with family members, particularly his cousins, Smiley reimagines Black girlhood as a place of resilience and paradise—a sanctuary where healing and joy coexist. His work serves as an archive for Black people that are working against conventional understandings of gender norms. Through each image, Smiley creates not just images but invitations to reimagine what it means to nurture and protect Black girlhood.