Boston Scenes 6-21-18: Beautiful Me Girls Conference
Beautiful Me Girls Conference June 9-10, 2018: Uplifting, Validating and Providing a Safe Space for Young Black Girls
Organized by Shana Bryant Consulting and Black Girls Rising co-founders, Anjela Childs and Stephanie Johnson. This 2-day event brought 90 Black middle school and high school girls together. Inspired by the Beautiful Me documentary, this conference was created to uplift young Black girls who struggle to embrace their beauty, to affirm them, provide a safe space for honest conversations and create an opportunity to celebrate their black identity.
Speakers included Regina Robinson, Dean of Student Affairs at Cambridge College, Zuwena Easterling, a junior at Louisiana State University, Liz Miranda, Candidate for 5th Suffolk District and Tanisha Sullivan, attorney and President of the Boston Branch NAACP. All four speakers delivered powerful messages by sharing their personal stories in realizing their infinite potential as leaders.
Workshops included: Healthy Relationships, Mental Health, Sexual Health, Racism and Social Injustice and Self-Esteem to encourage unity, self-confidence and a broader awareness of the power of media and the harmful messages that affect young Black girls’ self-image and self-esteem.
After two days of jam packed activities, the conference ended on an affirming note where attendees repeated the Beautiful Me Girls Conference Manifesto, pledging to “consciously reject the untrue, unhealthy and unworthy images that attempt to deny my greatness and extinguish my brilliance.”
The demand for another conference or event is already high. Conference visionary Shana Bryant described that this weekend was beyond her wildest dream! “With such a demand to create uplifting, safe spaces for both girls and women, we are exploring options to engage parents and workshop professionals while increasing the capacity of the conference. Let’s just say we are listening and excited to create more opportunities to inspire and empower Black girls and women beyond the conference”.
To learn more about the Beautiful Me Girls Conference, check out their website at www.beautifulmegirlsconference.com. Also, follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
