The radiance and infamous power of black women has existed long before a term was coined for it. The phrase Black Girl Magic just confirmed the power we already knew was within us. It’s more than just a phrase or a hashtag, it’s a way of life. Black women have always been strong and resilient, but black girl magic gives us the freedom to be. The freedom to live life on our terms without regret. I remember being four with admiration for my grandmother and mother. They seemed superhuman. They were the definition of walking queens. Even in their weakest moments, they were still able to conquer the world in my eyes. They were my first example of what black girl magic was truly meant to be. It wasn’t selfish or boastful. It was loving, selfless, but most of all it had the ability to light up any room. As black women, we are magical, powerful, and beautiful beyond measure—most of all, unapologetic. We have endured so much gracefully and taken the world by storm in so many ways.
We’re introduced to our magic long before we know what to call it. It has existed in our ancestors and in their stories. We are living proof of what beautiful things bloom from the darkest of places. Black women have been forced to endure trials that would cause others to crack under pressure. We have watched our children get sold to watching our young black men degraded by a system that wasn’t created for them to survive. Yet, we continue to shine light on the pathway. Black Girl Magic isn’t something that can be bought. It’s embedded in our step, in our hair, in our skin, and in our intellect. Each day, I watch as new innovators are born. As black girl excellence is achieved. As black women step back into who they are rightfully meant to be. Despite the obstacles of life, we always find a way to come out unscratched. Our magic isn’t meant to intimidate anyone, but to liberate us. It allows the world to know that we’re present and our presence isn’t to be overlooked.
I never understood the essence of what black girl magic actually was—until I became a representation of it. I became one of the women I once and still do admire. I became what another black girl needed to see. Black Girl Magic is more than just degrees, financial stability, marriage, and a fairytale lifestyle. It doesn’t come at a certain age or after a certain accomplishment. It doesn’t look a specific way, but you know it when it enters a room. Every black women has magic despite life’s circumstances. Its just part of who we are from birth. As women we spend our lives growing into all that it entails. Black women have spent so much time giving ourselves away to the world, but Black Girl Magic is about giving back to ourselves. Black Girl Magic exist from the curl in our coil to the heel of our feet. I am… she is…WE are MAGIC.
Queen Media Collective 