Who is black girls united?
Black Girls United is an after school program dedicated to the liberation, empowerment, and unity of Black girls. Currently implemented in Berkeley Middle Schools and High Schools, Black girls have a space to call their own to heal, grow, build sisterhood, and dream big through enriching curriculum, engaging activities, and much needed resources.
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To cultivate safe spaces for Black girls to exist in peaceful solidarity with one another on and off school campuses.
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Black girls deserve to have a welcoming space that is all their own - a place to exhale, express themselves, share similar experiences and be encouraged, empowered, seen, & valued.
Sadly, there are very few places like this in our communities. This is why Black Girls United exists.
We intend to normalize Black girl solidarity, at school and beyond. We seek to validate the brilliance and beauty of Black girls through the three main tenets of our program: InHERworks, LibHeration, and CollabHERation.
Through fun and interactive lessons, hands on mentorship, and community gatherings, our girls will learn the importance of unity - how to hold space for one another, initiate intentional acts of kindness, like practicing "Black-on-Black compliments", and celebrate their vast uniqueness, all while recognizing and learning how to fight against anti-Blackness/Black womanism within themselves and our communities.
Through this program, we are doing our part to help dismantle the colonizing narratives and internalized oppression that cause us to inflict harm towards each other and tear down the walls that keep our girls bound by toxic, limiting beliefs.
To further our approach in providing safety for our girls, Black Girls United offers emotional and mental support by partnering with Black women therapists, conducting restorative justice circles, and equipping girls with the skills needed for peer conflict mediation and resolutions as well as emotional intelligence.
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We envision a radical change in the way Black girls around the world see and treat each other and themselves, especially in the space where they spend much of their time: school.
It will take all of us - parents, leaders, educators, and mentors - banding together to see this come to fruition.
If your school is in need of a space for Black girls to thrive and live out the values BGU aims to teach, we would love to work with you.
black women are twice as likely to struggle with mental health than any other group.
The struggles we face stem from a long history of anti-Blackness, violence & sexism against Black women, and oppression that has ravaged our community. As a result, many Black girls do not know how to channel their pain and emotions, often leading to hyper-independence, isolation, and dysfunctional relationships with their peers.
This is why pouring into our Black girls is highly important.
BGU believes that by cultivating spaces for Black girls to learn how to take care of their mental health, express themselves unapologetically, and build healthy relationships with one another, we can break the cycle of disunity and “the strong Black woman” schema and create a culture of peace, love, unity, and grace in our communities.
