Black Girl Magic or Nah?
In recent years there has been a major trend concerning the awesomeness that is “Black Girls,” we have seen an influx of strong African American women as entrepreneurs, in television roles, and in the political climate. We are actively “Reclaiming our time” and creating spaces where we can thrive in this world.
On Thursday nights, we tune in to watch Kerry Washington play the powerful Olivia Pope and turned our TV’s to BET to watch Gabrielle Union as Mary Jane Paul the media anchor that is fighting her way to the top. As I sit here writing this my television is tuned in to the “BET Her” station previously known as Centric a channel geared towards African-American women.
All of this main stream media has us believing that we (Black Women) can break through the glass ceiling as we climb our way to the top. As an educator, I believe that it is amazing that our girls can turn on the television, read a news report, or login to social media to see all of this “Black Girl Magic” at play.
I wonder though is there an age where this “Black Girl Magic” initiates? I ask this question because the discipline disparities between white and black girls in public schools are vast. One would think that this is a great time for “us” to secure our place in this world, but how is that possible when Black girls are more than seven times more likely to receive 1 or more OSS (Out of School Suspension) than White girls. If our girls are spending so much time suspended how are they ever going to be able to compete in this global society. Unfortunately, the suspension rate is just the tip of the iceberg as it relates to discipline disparities in public schools. Black girls are nearly four times more likely to be arrested in schools and over two and a half times more likely to get referred to law enforcement than white girls.
How is it that as adults we can cultivate these amazing personal brands that rival mainstream industry, however throughout our school years we are struggling with finding our place in society? There is a missing link in teacher training that must be addressed so that our girls can be educated properly. For years research has been done on the disparities in education for black boys, however our girls are being left out. It is no secret that teacher preparation programs are not adequately preparing educators to work with our kids. As educators, mentors, and family members it is our responsibility to find ways to create spaces where our girls can learn self-love, how to cultivate relationships, and to truly embrace their black girl magic.
I challenge you the next time you are in contact with a black or brown girl reach out to her ask her how she’s doing in school and offer support to ensure she has a positive experience. If you’re looking for resources to support the manifestation of black/brown girl magic then the Innocent Brown Girl Project is the place for you. Please sign up for email updates including blog post, research reports, lesson plans, and professional development resources.
The complete report can be found on the National Black Women’s Justice Institute website here.
