For too long, books by and about Black women and girls have been missing among kids media. It’s a reality I am unfortunately too familiar with and it’s a big reason why I, along with acclaimed journalist Lilly Workneh, were honored to be tapped by Rebel Girls to help fill that void and lead the creation of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Real-Life Tales of Black Girl Magic.

#BlackGirlMagic is not just a hashtag, it is a global movement that celebrates the strength, power, beauty, and resilience of Black women and girls — and this book does just that. Packed with 100 stories of remarkable Black women from around the world and created by more than 60 Black women and non-binary illustration, this book acknowledges, applauds and amplifies the stories of remarkable Black women.

As a concept “Black Girls Are Magic” has existed for decades — but it was in 2013 that I coined the phrase and helped to bring it widespread attention. As a little Black girl growing up, I believed that the Black women that I knew and saw in my everyday life were magical. I lived in my imagination — most things to me were manifestations and extensions of the fairytales and made-up stories that my mother would read to me. When I would hear my Auntie tell a story or watch my Grandma make her delicious sweet potato pies, I thought they were literal magic. When I experienced the love and dedication of my mother and watched my older cousins expertly braid hair, it was magic. There was nothing that could convince me otherwise. I would whisper to myself “Black Girls Are Magic.”

All I knew of womanhood was Black and all I knew of Blackness was magic.

As an adult, I realized that what I thought was magic as a child was the strength it takes to guide and love a family, the power it takes to defy and beat the odds stacked against you as a teenage mother, and the resilience to step out into a world hostile to you as a Black person AND a woman and do your very best. The women and girls profiled in the latest edition of the Rebel Girls series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Real-Life Tales of Black Girl Magic, exemplify all of these traits and more.

They often come from humble beginnings and overcame great obstacles to accomplish greatness. These Black women and girls are the stuff that role models are made of, not only for other Black women and girls but also for everyone.

The championship, innovation, leadership, and creativity of Black women and girls is nothing new. There are very few people who have not witnessed these things and benefitted from them.

But the accolades and recognition have been scarce. We live in a world that tends to ignore the accomplishments of marginalized people. Black women exist at the intersection of two social classes that have long been plagued by the derogatory beliefs and actions of racism and gender bias. The people whose stories we have collected and curated in this Rebel Girls volume fought against these prejudices and the institutions that upheld them to stand in their full glory. They have set the example for people worldwide of what can and should be done to affect change in our lives, our communities, and society at large. 100 Real-Life Tales of Black Girl Magic is a book for every child. These women and girls’ stories need and deserve to be told. Some children are living in the same conditions and situations that the women profiled in our book came from that may not know what is possible for them in life. In curating this book, we hope to shine a light into the mind of anyone, no matter their background, and enable them to understand that they too are strong, powerful, and resilient. Black Girl Magic is a wonderful example of that.

• CaShawn Thompson, #BlackGirlMagic creator and foreword writer for Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Real-Life Tales of Black Girl Magic

The post An Exclusive Guest Post from CaShawn Thompson, Creator of #BlackGirlMagic and Foreword Writer for Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Real-Life Tales of Black Girl Magic appeared first on Barnes & Noble Reads.