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1.     The final example of Black Girl Magic that I wanted to discuss is the appointment of Dr. Ayanna Howard as the new dean of the OSU Department of Engineering. With a resume seemly the size of a novel, Dr. Howard came to OSU with an immense amount of experience, working at institutions like Nasa and Georgia Tech University. She is a formattable person in the engineering field and she brings a unique perspective to the field that is not commonly seen: a Black female perspective. Probably one of the most white cisgender male fields of study, engineering lacks representation at the educational and industrial level. Upon accepting the job to run Ohio State’s engineering department, Dr. Howard opened the doors for broader representation and hopefully support across the department. When thinking about universities that are inclusive of the Black community, HBCU’s like Howard University and Spellman College come to my mind. These universities are the pinnacle of promoting and supporting the Black community, which is fantastic for Black students who want to attend those universities. But what happens to those students who want to go to PWIs like Ohio State. Those students still deserve a community that supports and accepts them fully, but it is impossible to build that kind of inclusive community if only white men run the entire university. By bringing people like Dr. Howard, Ohio State is setting itself down the right path. As a woman in engineering myself, I have not felt supported by the engineering department and I have seen very few women in the department on the whole. One of my takeaways for this semester is that by uplifting Black women, arguably one of the most oppressed communities in the United States, we uplift everyone. I believe that to be true and I am hoping that changes will be made in the engineering department to uplift all those students who have felt left behind.

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So, I am fully aware the #BlackGirlMagic is about how Black women are magical by simply being who they are, but I can not help but interpret the hashtag in a more literal sense. This is what brings me to Letitia Lewis, also known as Leti, (Jurnee Smollett) from Lovecraft Country. Not only is she a bad-ass monster slayer, she also casts the a spell that literally saves all of society from the impeding dome of the white supremacist Christina Braithwhite (Abbey Lee). She is actual Black girl magic because it takes a more science fiction twist on the traditional Conjure women seen in movies like Eve’s Bayou. I loved how Lovecraft Country developed her character over the course of the first season. At the beginning, Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors) was the only Black character to have magic, due his to direct bloodline to Titus, the white cult founder; however, as the series progresses, Letitia learns how to cast spells and harnesses the power of Atticus’s female ancestors to amplify her powers. The show seamlessly depicts the ways Black women have had to fight the oppression of both sexism and racism yet continued to persist.  What I particularly enjoyed about Leti’s story line was how she called upon other Black women for knowledge and guidance. During my study of Black feminism, I have learned the importance of Black ancestry and shared communal knowledge. From numerous references the Combahee River Collectives’ “A Black Feminist Statement” to Dr. Patricia Hill Collins quoting Sojourner Truth in her book Black Feminist Thought, it is clear that Black women value the lived experiences of those who came before them.  Lovecraft Country brought together the magic spells with the magic of community and shared knowledge, ultimately redefining my perspective of #BlackGirlMagic.

[allysanalysisofblackgirlmagic]

As a member of the Columbus community, this week’s news that sixteen-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant was killed by a CPD officer hit hard. Over the course of the past year, I have been trying to engage with the Black Lives Matter movement, but I have felt like my efforts have not been enough. I watched the television as millions took to the street to protest the death of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd and was inspired to do more but limited by my parents’ safety concerns. Now that I am living outside my parent’s house, I got together with a group of friends and went to the sit in at the Ohio Union in honor of Ma’Khia Bryant. The entire event was led by a group of Black female Ohio State students; they were the true embodiment of the importance and need for Black Girl Magic. Although my fight against police brutality started in the last few weeks, for the Black women who stood on the stairs of the Ohio Union giving speeches, leading chants, and organizing the event their fight has been going on for months. It was clear by the way they spoke that they were tired of repeating over and over again that their lives mattered, yet they still came together and refused to give up. They relied on one another to push on for Ma’Khai. In an article with CNN, Asia Leeds discusses #BlackGirlMagic stating, “The concept is important because it names and identifies the ways that black women make space for themselves, celebrate themselves, and connect to each other.” If a group of Black women coming together to remember the beauty and life of a Black girl is not the picture of the Black Girl Magic, I do not know what is.

[allysanalysisofblackgirlmagic]

This spring, I was introduced to Pose, FX’s television show about 1980s ball and LGBTQ culture, in a criticizing television course. Pose takes place in New York and follows Blanca Rodriguez (MJ Rodriguez), a Black trans women, as she forms her chosen family, runs a household, and performs in balls. The show’s cast features multiple trans performers and writers and is one of the first mainstream shows to depict BIPOC trans stories. From an intersectional perspective, Pose does a fantastic job of showing the unique hardships Black trans and gay people faced during the 1980s and 90s; however, the show makes a point to balance tragedy with positivity and community. Abandoned by their biological families, the main characters of the show are brought together because of their struggles, but they are a family because they chose to love one another and support one another. When thinking about Black Girl Magic, I am reminded that this movement represents all Black women including Black trans women. #BlackGirlMagic is all about creating a community of support and love, which is the entire premise of Pose and the real-life culture and community it depicts. Given the tremendous impact they have had on pop culture and the advancement of the LGBTQ community, it is sad that the Black LGBTQ community has been given so little credit for their bravery and work, yet Pose does serve as a great step towards proper recognition. My only real critique of the show is its producer, Ryan Murphy. Murphy, a white cisgender man, has been producing popular television series like Glee and American Horror Story for decades; however, I question whether a Black trans women should have produced the show. I understand that the television industry is still run by white men, but it would be nice if a Black trans woman could produce a show about Black trans women. This will take time, but I hope that as society changes, more and more people will be able to tell, direct, and produce their own stories without a white man behind them.

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When I was thinking about examples of Black Girl Magic, the first person that came to my mind was Amanda Gorman. Gorman, the first National Youth Poet Laureate and the youngest inaugural poet, truly brought my family and I to tears on Inauguration Day with the performance of her poem “The Hill We Climb.” Gorman reminded families across the United States that change is possible with her inspiring words: “There is always light. If only we are brave enough to see it.  If only we are brave enough to be it.”  What caught my attention was her focus on the future and the steps needed to be taken now in order to form a better union, not particularly a perfect one. She claims that the future in the US actually starts with learning from and discussing its past: a past riddled with the tragedies of slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, police brutality, etc. Gorman uses her gift for writing and performing poetry to shine a light on our nations’ possibilities. I would like to also point out that Gorman chose to give this nationally broadcast performance all while wearing braids. While not the first prominent Black women to do this, it continues to reinforce that Black women’s natural hair is beautiful and should be celebrated in all spaces, including the White House. Gorman frequently wears African inspired outfits and always does her hair in traditional or natural hairstyle. She is proud of her ancestry and uses her fashion choices as a physical manifestation of that pride. Gorman literally shined on stage in her bright yellow coat.  She stood out from the white men in black suits behind her and was the living embodiment of Black joy. Gorman is just one of the many amazing Black women making a difference and she is an inspiration to the next generation of change makers.