This paper works to illustrate how silence, a powerful semiotic tool, was used by a Black middle school girl, Cierra, to negotiate for additional processing time in challenging situations and as a form of protection, for herself and others. Critical race theory, culturally sustaining pedagogy, and social constructionist grounded theory are used to help frame and analyze the work that Cierra and Jason did together as part of a university local school district summer camp for middle school students. The data that was generated and examined in conjunction with Cierra may help teachers and researchers to reconceptualize silence as a powerful tool that students bring to school as an asset instead of as a deficit or something to be corrected or policed.