Hashtags have defined pop culture. You spot them all over social media, and now many of them have become popular phrases, especially when they highlight blackness: #BlackBoyJoy, #BlackLivesMatter, #GrowingUpBlack and the list goes on.
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#BlackGirlMagic is obviously one of those transcendent hashtags. These three words smashed together bring a smile to even the tightest lips. There are many of us magicians in the world. She’s the girl who opened the door for you this morning, she’s Beyoncé, she’s the little girl who eats lunch alone because she’s “weird,” she’s Rep. Maxine Waters. She’s every black woman or girl with a pulse.
She’s Shawanna. You might know her as @BeBeautifulLA on Instagram, and if you don’t—get familiar! She’s a leading voice for #BlackGirlMagic on Instagram; her page receives attention from more than 125,000 followers, ranging from celebrities to parents to young black girls.
Shawanna says, “Little girls that love themselves become women that rule the world.”
Since she was a child, Shawanna’s mission has been to empower and inspire black women and girls through the preservation of positive images. She started doing it in her journals growing up and decided to start sharing her thoughts and images on Instagram. The result was a supportive and growing community who lift one another up as they seek to be lifted.
Young women tell Shawanna, “I come to your page because it’s hard to go to school in the morning.” It wasn’t too long ago that Shawanna had those moments herself, and she takes a breath and almost relives them as she’s filming this segment. She is proof that an average black girl is magic not only for herself but for others, too.
Join the hashtag revolution! Through the month of April, The Root will be sharing a few dope videos about these hashtags: #CarefreeBlackBoy, #Melanin, #SayHerName and #BlackTravel. Make sure you come back to check them out!
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