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Importance Of Educating Your Daughter About Black Girl Enchantment

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Parenting

Importance Of Educating Your Daughter About Black Girl Enchantment

Black Girl Enchantment. In a nation where the marginalized frequently go unheard and unseen, it is vital that we commend all that we are and all that we have achieved despite the systemic racism that has remained unaddressed for centuries. Since 2013, the hashtag #BlackGirlMagic has been a rallying cry of Black women and girls to amplify and rejoice in our beauty, joy, and accomplishments.

The moment when my 3-year-old daughter, Aria, fearlessly declared, “Mommy, you’re Black,” while we were seated on the couch watching Boss Baby, is etched in my memory. It took me by surprise. I hadn’t anticipated having this discourse about race so early in her life, but I recognized the necessity of responding purposefully.

Being in an interracial relationship and having a mixed-race daughter (she is both Black and white) makes it crucial to consciously navigate and acknowledge the adversities she may encounter. I aim to lead and uphold her in the pursuit of making her identity a fortress of autonomy. “Yes I am, and so are you!” I responded enthusiastically.

I Anticipate Her Experiences to Contrast With Mine

My daughter’s life encounters will diverge from mine. Navigating being biracial may be intricate, to say the least. She might feel unaccepted in either world, uncertain about where she belongs. Spread thin, and conceivably sensing the need to choose between her Black side and her white side. She will find herself in a racial limbo, not certain of her place and straddling the divide between two identities—and she might not feel fully embraced by either side.

In a world that has historically upheld principles of racism, sexism, ableism, and numerous other prejudices, it is incredibly important and imperative to shatter these long-standing beliefs. We can educate our children with a fresh perspective on the world. My rationale behind educating my half-Black daughter about Black Girl Enchantment stems from the fact that, in a world proven to be harsh, she is likely to encounter disparate treatment owing to the Black half from me as opposed to the white half from her father.

To counteract negativity, I will instill in her an unshakable basis of self-love, happiness, and assurance in all that she is and all the aspirations she will pursue. She will understand that there is no goal too large for her to achieve.

She will recognize herself in Amanda Gorman, the youngest poet to recite at a presidential inauguration in United States history. She will learn to utilize her voice to confront oppression and marginalization.

She will recognize herself in Misty Copeland, the first Black woman to assume the role of principal dancer in the American Ballet Theater. She will comprehend that she can always be the pioneer, and because of her, she will not be the last.

She will recognize herself in Marsai Martin, a young actress who diligently worked to become the youngest executive producer in history, featuring in and serving as executive producer of the film Little.

She will recognize herself in Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka, determined athletes who dominate their respective sports and have fearlessly vocalized the significance of mental well-being.

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