Black Girl Magic

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Black Girl Magic

Natty Kasambala wants action and celebration

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We have to create the type of imagery that shows who we are – photographer in Johannesburg, Cole Ndelu.

Black women have always started social change: for example, the leaders of the Black Panther Party in the US in the civil rights movement and authors and artists like Nina Simone, Maya Angelou and bell hooks.

In 2013 the hashtag #BlackGirlMagic started, to show the magic of black women. Cashawn Thompson, a blogger, made it popular, and it has had a lot of support around the world, eg. from the Obamas and Solange Knowles. This new wave of intersectional (not typical white, middle-class, heterosexual, able-bodied) feminism has been shared a lot on Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr.

Every year there is the Black Girls Rock! Awards. Women of colour in different areas win prizes and BET television channel shows it. And there are other new events around the world eg. London’s Black Girl Festival in 2016. Paula Akpan and Nicole Crentsil created this - Britain’s first festival focusing only on black women.

If you look for #BlackGirlMagic on social media, you will find many worlds joined together by strong black women. There are graduation photos, calls to action and celebrations. Everyone understands that the hashtag means admiration, strength and joy. It’s a new, accepted phrase, it has started many necessary conversations and given energy to millions.

Natty Kasambala is a journalist and creative. Her work has been in Crack, Dazed, gal-dem, the National Gallery and Southbank Centre.

NOW READ THE ORIGINAL: https://newint.org/features/2018/03/13/black-girl-magic