We Stand with Black Lives Matter

May 26th 2021 marked one year since George Floyd was taken from this earth and his community. In thinking of his daughter, family and the countless others lost to racial injustice, Girls Write Now feels, grieves, and in remembrance, continues the work of championing the voices of Black people.

Girls Write Now stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, and the intersectional coalition of artists, activists and organizations fighting for justice. For over two decades, we have dedicated our mission to breaking down the barriers of race and poverty to elevate the voices of women-identifying, trans* and gender-expansive young adults who are too often not heard—or worse, silenced.

When our young writers share their stories, they have the power to change minds, heal communities, and impact the world. Please join us in listening.

Equipped with a better understanding of our disparate experiences, our actions have the greatest impact. At Girls Write Now, we commit to continue our efforts—working together both internally and externally—to make a better future for our Black and Brown communities.

• Girls Write Now celebrates Black History Month
• The Girls Write Now community mounts a comprehensive Racial Justice Strategic Planning Process
• Mentees write and perform on the topic of racial justice
• Mentees create a community statement and dreams of new worlds in our racial injustice workshops and support sessions
• Girls Write Now’s Diversity Committee reimagines its approach

To our mentors, mentees, and all those struggling within our community, we are here to support you and to fight alongside you. Your life matters.

Black Lives Matter Resources:

• Document created by and for NYC youth with an extensive list of Black Lives Matter Resources and action steps.
• Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly chat about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.
• Therapy for Black Girls Providers: Find therapists specifically for Black girls in your area.
• Black Girls Smile Resources: A list of mental health organizations and resources for Black girls.
• Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation: Currently providing free virtual therapy.
• How to Protect Your Mental Health While Fighting Racial Injustice: Resources compiled by Online Counseling Programs
• Instagram accounts to follow: @thenapministry @healingwhileblack @selfcareisforeveryone @ethelsclub @inclusivetherapists @diveinwell @sistaafya @healhaus

Recommended Reads by Black Women Authors:

• A Card for My Father by Samantha Thornhill (recommended for children)
• “A Place Where We are Everything” by Roxane Gay (essay)
• Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
• Becoming by Michelle Obama
• Black Feeling Black Talk by Nikki Giovanni
• Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
• Citizen by Claudia Rankine
• Freedom Is A Constant Struggle by Angela Davis
• Hunger by Roxane Gay
• M Archive by Alexis Pauline Gumbs
• Me and White Supremacy by Layla F Saad
• Mindful of Race by Ruth King
• Mouth Full of Blood by Toni Morrison
• Powder Necklace by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond
• Race-ing Justice by En-gender-ing Power by Toni Morrison
• Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
• Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America by Melissa V. Harris-Perry
• So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
• Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
• Swing Time by Zadie Smith
• The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones (essays and audio)
• This Book Is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell & Aurélia Durand (recommended for teens)
• This Is What I Know About Art by Kimberly Drew (recommended for teens)
• This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black by Female by and Feminist in (White) America by Morgan Jerkins
• Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice by Mahogany L. Browne (recommended for children)
• You Can’t Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain by Phoebe Robinson

You can find more books by BIPOC authors in this list compiled by academic and activist Rachel Cargle and this list from Girls at Library.