Privacy Policy 2 — Justice for Black Girls

We believe that Black girls are PRODUCERS of knowledge AND EXPERTS ON THE ISSUES THAT IMPACT THEM. We AFFIRM BLACK GIRLS AS CULTURAL ARCHITECTS AND AGENTS OF SOCIAL CHANGE.

mission

Justice for Black Girls exists to disrupt the educational, carceral, and cultural systems that harm Black girls while building liberated learning, organizing, and cultural spaces where Black girls ages 13–24 are affirmed as scholars, organizers, storytellers, and cultural architects.

Justice for Black Girls is building a national intellectual and organizing institution around Black girlhood—one that recognizes Black girls as producers of knowledge, cultural architects, and agents of transformative social change. Recognizing Black girls as experts on the conditions impacting their lives, JBG centers the research, intellectual contributions, organizing strategies, and creative visions of Black girls themselves—creating spaces where they can engage this work with joy, care, and collective power.

Rooted in Black feminist thought, youth epistemology, and a holistic culture of care, Justice for Black Girls advances social justice education, youth-led research, healing-centered engagement, grassroots organizing, and academic collaboration. Through culturally rooted curriculum, national programming, research initiatives, and strategic partnerships, JBG cultivates spaces where Black girls experience safety, belonging, intellectual affirmation, and the freedom to imagine and actualize new possibilities for their communities and beyond.

vision

Justice for Black Girls (JBG) endeavors to elevate the voices of Black girls as the experts and cultivate student activism through our Justice Ambassadors Program. Here we engage Black girls ages 13-18 from all over the country in the academic and policy work that centers Black girlhood. The JBG Ambassadors Program also provides opportunities for Ambassadors to partner with grassroots organizations, higher learning institutions and leading activists, authors, and theorists whose work centers Black girls.

JBG recognizes education as liberation, and endeavors to combat the miseducation of Black girlhood, and the universal suppression of Black girls’ experience, through our Black Girlhood Curriculum. Curriculum topics include: Intersectionality, Adultification & Criminalization of Black Girlhood, Abolitionist Education, Colorism, Texturism & Hair Activism, Cultural Appropriation, Respectability, Healing & Safekeeping, Blackgirl Autoethnography.

The Black Girlhood Studies Fellowship in partnership with Spelman College Social Justice Fellowship is a collective of undergraduate Black girl students who center Black girlhood in their research and work. The BGSF becomes a space for Black girls to unapologetically engage the radical brilliance of leading Black girlhood studies theorists. By engaging Black girls as theorists of their own experiences, Black girls are the entry point into Black girlhood studies, scholarship and research.

The Freedom Fighters Fund is designed to provide monetary relief for Black girl activists, like Toyin, who are on the frontlines. This fund allows Black girls to request grants up to $750 for overnight housing, rent relief, food or other life-sustaining supports. Established in honor of 19 year old activist Oluwatoyin Salua, we recognize that many Black girl activists are fighting for the protection of everyone else without having protection themselves. What we know about oppression and marginalization, is that there is never just one victim. Conversely, there are systems that worked together to ensure that Toyin was rendered powerless to all of the systems she was fighting against. Not anymore- we can’t allow Black girls to put their bodies and minds on the frontlines without protection.

Finally our JBG National Conference elevates Black girls as the experts and centers their voice & advocacy. Here, our ambassadors & fellows share original presentations and research alongside leading theorists, scholars, activists and public figures. This conference seeks to highlight the critical importance of intersectional efforts that protect Black girlhood. This work is a charge to all who have the privilege of protecting Black girls, may we show up for them in ways that the world has never shown up before. This conference is about pushing folks to actively disrespect the systems that disrespect Black girls. This conference is about recognizing that Black girls are worthy subjects, central to our understanding of girlhood, childhood, and humanity. This conference is about communal pledges to Black girl liberation.

Ultimately, JBG is focused on equipping Black girls with tools not authorized by empowerment- focused on developing self-help in the midst of structural degradation, but power- the agency to alter the systems that actively marginalize Black girlhood. We are committed to creating space that enables Black girls to imagine a life beyond the confining structures in which they currently live.