15 Thoughts On Raising Empowered Black Women

So you want to raise your Black daughter into a Black woman who is totally empowered and has #BlackGirlMagic on full display? Read on.

1. Talk to other Black moms about your daughters.

Kia Morgan Smith / Via Instagram: @kiamorgansmith

Malcolm X said the most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. I'm steady looking for new ways to empower my Black daughter, so I make it a point to listen to what other amazing moms raising radical Black girls have to say about it.

2. Teach her about the legacy she comes from.

Denene Millner / Via Instagram: @mybrownbaby

Radical, amazing Black women have fought and paved the way for her, and a great many are still fighting today. Remind her that she draws from their strengths. The collective power and wisdom of those women who came before her will support her journey.

3. Teach her how to celebrate herself.

I Can Be Confident / Via Instagram: @icanbeconfident

Your daughter should know how to brag without guilt or shame. Teach her that she has to make no apologies for her strength, her skills, or the things that she is most proud of about herself. She may not receive the acknowledgments she deserves from society, but that shouldn't stop her from feeling amazing about herself!

4. Teach her that Black Joy is a THING.

Jasmine Banks / Via Instagram: @djazzo

One of the most radical things Black girls and women can do is ENJOY our lives. Teach her she doesn't have to be afraid or hide her deep pleasure. A joyful Black girl is a radical Black girl!

5. Teach her about body positivity (and model it in your own life).

Instagram: @mymamihood / Via mymamihood

Repeat after me:

All bodies are beach bodies.

There are no "boys clothes" or "girls clothes." There are just clothes.

There is nothing she could wear or not wear to make her a "slut," "hoe," or "whore."

Short skirts, red lipstick, and red fingernail polish do not make her fast.

What she chooses to adorn her body with can be a source of empowerment and self-expression.

6. Teach her she is allowed to be "unpleasant."

The Crunchy Mommy / Via instagram.com

Radical Black girls are FREE Black girls. This means she has permission to experience her full range of emotions. She might come up against the stereotype of the "Angry Black Woman" in adulthood, but at least she will be prepared and empowered.

7. Teach her that self-expression matters.

Jennifer Borget / Via Instagram: @babymakingmachine

Radical Black girls aren't afraid to express themselves. Support her self-expression by providing her opportunities to speak her mind and be hurt in whatever medium she enjoys most!

8. Teach her to always be learning new things.

Denene Millner / Via Instagram: @mybrownbaby

Radical Black girls aren't afraid to read, and to learn.

9. Teach her to adventure and play.

Brandi Jeter Riley / Via Instagram: @brandijeter

Radical Black girls rebel against the narrative! Give your Black girl permission to explore, adventure, and be curious. Remind her she has permission to not take herself seriously, no matter what expectations are placed on her.

10. Teach her about self care.

Diva With A Purpose / Via Instagram: @divawithapurpose

Teach her that taking good care of herself is, as Audre Lorde said, one of the most radical acts she can engage in.

11. And teach her that self care helps her prepare for challenges.

Jennifer Borget / Via Instagram: @babymakingmachine

Good self care is a source of power and strength, and will be important in a world that asks for a lot of strength.

12. Teach her that she is the perfect shade.

Jasmine Banks / Via Instagram: @djazzo

There is no such thing as too dark or too light. Colorism is real, but your Black girl should know that her shade is perfect!

13. Teach her that radical Black girls grow into radical Black women.

Luvvie Ajayi / Via Instagram: @luvvie

LOOK at all that power!

14. And teach her that she is magic.

Dani Faust / Via Instagram: @thedanifaust

Above all else, teach her that she is an amazing creation worth all of the celebration and fuss, no matter what the world tells her! She is full of #BlackGirlMagic.

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Andrew Richard