Often times black girls can feel like an outsider when it pertains to certain situations such as being the only black girl in her classroom, being the only black girl to try out for the cheerleading team, or being the only black girl sitting at the round table at her job.
My mom always told me that I have two strikes against me. The first strike is that I am black. The second strike is that I am a woman. She told me that I had to be ten times better than the person standing next to me. For me personally, it took me years to feel comfortable with myself being the only black girl in the room at times.
While history has made for different races to feel uncomfortable in certain settings, having confidence in yourself no matter the race will allow positive energy into that space.
Not all black girls were giving the same upbringing as me; however, if black girls collectively start to own the space they are in. Then when that time presents itself to be at the big round table, the confidence will be there. This starts by showing that they are just as important as the next person, and if they believe they can do it then they will achieve it.
How can we make black girls feel more comfortable in certain settings? What can we tell them, to build their confidence up? Please feel free to comment!