She walked onto the stage wearing a blue dress and attitude. She owned every bit of who she is – bold, bright, and black. Who could take their eyes off of her, suddenly beautiful? She paused, posed, and moved on.
Black student after black student followed, the bright colours of their outfits matched their smiles as they claimed their share of the spotlight. On this day, black students were the hosts, the performers, the designers, the readers, the models. At this assembly, everyone in the school saw them.
My heart nearly burst with happiness. They did this themselves. They applied for and won $1000 grant. They made many of the clothes from fabric they chose. They booked speakers and artists and prepared their own artistic performances. When a strike day forced us to move the date of the assembly and all – all! – of the guests couldn’t make it, the students planned the whole thing again in less than a week.
Working with these students has shown me their determination and their awareness of what they face because of their skin colour, has made me a better ally, has changed me in ways I never expected. The world had better get ready for these kids. They are coming and they are not interested in anyone trying to hold them back.
Persistence and Pedagogy 
This is an amazing project. I love how much student ownership, equity and awareness building and self-love it promotes.
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Thank you – they really are something else!
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AMAZING!! This is an incredible experience for those girls. I’m a bit teary eyed just thinking about it and I don’t even know them.
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They really did wonderful things. 🙂
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Lovely post. “And a child shall teach them…” In this case several. The world at large is just beginning to learn and understand “Black Girl Magic” and it’s a beautiful thing.
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Yes, indeed. These young people are all about Black Girl Magic. I am incredibly privileged to work with them.
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Wow. Whoa. Geez, this is an emotional post. What an important event, an important post and this feels like one of those rare slices that needs an audience.
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They are such great kids & they worked really hard for this. I was delighted at how it came together.
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This blew me away. It is beautiful on so many levels. Thank you.
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Reading this and seeing your Instagram post about this amazing event and the phenomenons students is like getting a big hug. I love the bold fabrics, the beauty of these powerful young people. I’ve never understood how so many white people could look at Black people and not see beauty. It’s about time the world took not.
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*took note!
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They were full of confidence and grace. It was a wonderful thing to behold.
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I have tears, Amanda! These images speak deeply to me. I see their pride, their clarity of purpose and all of their shine! Wow, what a thing of beauty! I just want to spend time with these pictures because they tell me so much about the people in them. I am so glad to know they have an ally in you who sees them farther and deeper than their last test, their last conflict, their last late assignment. So. Much. Power.
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Oh, Sherri – you know, I trace a lot of this back to your call for us to write about race during this challenge last year. Something about writing that unstopped me – when the kids asked me to sponsor the club, I was able to say yes even though I’m white. They are just incredible and working with them is an absolute privilege. Thanks for being someone who spurred me forward.
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I came back to look at the pictures. 😉
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Right? Aren’t they something?
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Congratulations!!! So happy to see the empowerment!!!
WOOHOO!!!!!
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So very powerful. Love that you shared this. This message of strength was just what I needed today.
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This is fabulous! What a joyous and empowering celebration. “At this assembly, everyone in the school saw them.” Wow!
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Amanda, this is so fantastic! Congratulations to your students! May more of them feel empowered!
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How empowering…and to hear about what you have learned and how you have grown along the way is inspiring.
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This post and the pics blew me away. So much empowerment and celebration and inspiration bursting from their poses. Thank you for sharing this joy.
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Congratulations to your students, Amanda. They are the future difference makers of the world!
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This is so good and I love the photos too. It fills my heart with delight! Love their attitude and determination. One of our daughters is marrying a man from Kenya at the end of the year and we couldn’t be happier. Blackjoy is such a cool title!!
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Killer first line, Amanda, to commemorate what sounds like a killer event. Thanks for sharing!
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This is powerful! What an amazing story. Thanks for sharing!
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