“Black girl magic is a rallying call of recognition. Embedded in the everyday is a magnificence that is so easy to miss because we’re so mired in the struggle and what society says we are.”
—AvaDuVernay, American writer, producer, director, and distributor of independent films
Your own life was birthed from a history of defiance, courage, and determination not to succumb to oppression. Think way back, thousands of years, to powerful queens like Nefertiti and Cleopatra, who ruled in Egypt. Those are your foremothers, even if they don’t share a bloodline with you.
They are part of a history that led you to where you are today as a young woman in the world. Now think back just over a hundred and fifty years ago, right here in America, to foremothers like Harriet Tubman, born into slavery, who along with her Underground Railroad workers smuggled enslaved people across the Mason-Dixon line to freedom. Nobody stopped her.
Think of Sojourner Truth, another fugitive from slavery, who in 1851, at a women’s rights convention, tore off her shirt and asked the men gathered around, sneering at her, “Ain’t I a woman?” She asked that question because being a woman means something powerful. It has always been a powerful thing to be a woman, even when our rights were stripped from us.
Millions of strong Black women have lived and died since Tubman and Truth, and we build on their legacies one life at a time. It is your time to build a legacy for tomorrow that others will look back on and remember. It can be as big or as small as you will it to be, but it’s all part of a collective legacy that will get passed to the children who come after you. We are all part of a global village. We all have a piece of the future within our command.
How dare you ever be ashamed of who you are—of where you came from? Celebrate your heritage. Your ancestry. It’s powerful. Do you know your story? Where were you born? Why were you given the name you have? What do you know about your parents and about their parents?What legacy have they built for you?
You will not be taught this kind of history at school. There is so much history for you to learn that doesn’t make it into your textbooks. And, of course, there is the internet. But most importantly there’s your family, who can answer many of your questions. It’s up to you to take the initiative, research your story, and learn more about your identity. Understanding where you came from will help you see the direction you want your life to take, and it can be any direction you choose for yourself. Knowledge will be a bridge that will connect you to your origins.
Repeat these affirmations to celebrate and embrace your identity.
I am Black and I am proud of my identity.
I keep my self-control around people who question my history and my identity.
I protect myself from people who question my values and my culture.
I realize with wisdom and discernment the discrimination that my community encounters.
I forgive myself for feeling anger, hatred, or contempt for people who see me as an inferior being.
The strength of my ancestors is so bright that it becomes more than enough.
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A creator of safe spaces, and an initiator of difficult conversations, M.J. Fievre, B.S. Ed, spent much time building up her Black students, helping them feel comfortable in their skin, and affirming their identities. Her close relationships with parents and students led her to look more closely at how we can balance protecting our child’s innocence with preparing them for the realities of Black life. When―and how―do you approach racism with your children? How do you protect their physical and mental health while also preparing them for a country full of systemic racism? She began to research the issue and speak to school counselors and psychologists to find (and apply!) strategies parents and teachers can use with their children to broach uncomfortable but necessary topics.
M.J. is the author of Badass Black Girl, a daily dose of affirmations for Black Girls
“You'll come away from Badass Black Girl feeling as if you've known the author your entire life, and it's a rare feat for any writer.” ―“Mike, the Poet,” author of Dear Woman and The Boyfriend Book
#1 Gift Idea in Teen & Young Adult Cultural Heritage Biographies, Publishers Weekly Select Title for Young Readers
Affirmations for strong, fearless Black girls. Wisdom from Badass Black female trailblazers who accomplished remarkable things in literature, entertainment, education, STEM, business, military and government services, politics and law, activism, sports, spirituality, and more.
Explore the many facets of your identity through hundreds of big and small questions. In this journal designed for teenage Black girls, MJ Fievre tackles topics such as family and friends, school and careers, body image, and stereotypes. By reflecting on these topics, you will confront the issues that can hold you back from living your best life and discovering your Black girl bliss.
Embrace authenticity and celebrate who you are. Finding the courage to live as you are is not easy, so here’s a journal designed to help you nurture creativity, positive self-awareness and Black girl bliss. This journal honors the strength and spirit of Black girls.
Change the way you view the world. This journal provides words of encouragement that seek to inspire and ignite discussion. You are growing up in a world that tries to tell you how to look and act. MJ Fievre encourages you to fight the flow and determine for yourself who you want to be.
Badass Black Girl helps you to:
Build and boost your self-esteem with powerful affirmations
Learn more about yourself through insightful journaling
Become comfortable and confident in your authentic self