Dear Colleagues,
Each February we celebrate Black brilliance, leadership, triumph, and joy during Black History Month. At G4GC, it’s when we also celebrate Black Girl Freedom Week. Launched in 2021 as part of the #1Billion4BlackGirls campaign, Black Girl Freedom Week is an annual week-long celebration of Black girls and gender-expansive youth, and what is possible when we invest abundantly in them, and co-create a future where they are safe, free, and thriving.
To commemorate this year’s Black Girl Freedom Week, we’re looking back on past panels that exemplify the joy and power of Black girls and gender-expansive young people, and highlight their priorities for investment.
In our highlight from 2021, we asked young people directly what a $1 Billion investment in them would do for their wellness and healing. In 2022, we celebrated how Black youth drive culture, especially in the beauty industry. Our 2023 conversation titled, Rich Better Have My Money, questions the meaning of an abundant future for Black girls and gender-expansive youth. Our 2024 offering makes sense of the conditions needed to create the landscapes for Black youth to thrive, from investment to pay equity.
We’re grateful to our collaborators and champions, who have made each Black Girl Freedom Week an unforgettable opportunity to spark action and investment—both financial and otherwise—in Black youth, and the organizations, families, and communities that support them. Videos and conversations are up on our YouTube channel and website, and we invite you to browse, enjoy, and share them.
We believe that every issue is a Black girl issue. During this Black Girl Freedom Week, we invite you to reflect on the contributions of Black girls and gender-expansive youth to our broader quest for justice, and to consider your own role in advancing a future where they receive the abundant investment they deserve.
In community,
Cidra M. Sebastien
Black Girl Freedom Fund
G4GC, Fund Manager