Black Girls Unscripted: The Celebration of 5 Years of Empowerment Begins Now

BALTIMORE - July 19, 2019 - PRLog -- Black Girls Unscripted, a Maryland based nonprofit, announces its 5-year anniversary, this month, and is on its way to becoming the go-to destination and safe space for women and girls seeking inspiration and empowerment through storytelling and intergenerational exchange.

Tiffany Gill, its visionary and director gives light into the importance of her organization's work. "We're rarely told as Black girls that our stories are important. This is often something we must learn on our own. Black Girls Unscripted is intentional about helping Black women and girls discover this."

Black Girls Unscripted is celebrating with contests and giveaways throughout the summer. It is rolling out new branded merchandise and has 2 new initiatives for teens and young women. "Griot Girls" is a journaling and storytelling tool to help girls discover their own unique voice. "Limitless Her" allows for original content created by girls and young women, ages 11-21, at its online platform. In September, it launches its 'Girls Nite In' series - a Facebook livestream of lively interactive events and panel discussions allowing viewers to join in and participate from the comfort of their own home.

This YouTube video link (https://youtu.be/LDzDEStUu7M) released on July 15, 2019, to announce the anniversary, is a personal message from Tiffany Gill.



At its beginning, set against the backdrop of Gill's former mentee, Alisha, who attempted suicide at 13 years old, Gill began to delve into answering her own question, "what's really happening with our girls?" Statistics, nationwide, report that sixty percent of Black girls report being sexually assaulted by the time they reach 18. They are twice as likely to be suspended according to US News and World Report. They remain missing with less media coverage and face adultification bias; face high rates of homicide by intimate partners more than their white peers, and Black youth contribute to spikes in suicide rates. The vision for Black Girls Unscripted had unfolded.

With a few words to say about a time such as this, Gill opened up to share. "We've learned many things over the last two years under this administration. But one thing is for certain: We cannot afford to leave any Black woman or girl behind. It's all hands on deck. And the time to educate, empower, and amplify the voices of Black women and girls - from the c-suites to inner cities - is now."

Black Girls Unscripted - BGU as it is often referred to - is a grassroots movement; a storytelling platform with a digital footprint, even worthy of an inquiry by Google Cultural Institute in 2016. BGU celebrates its largest analytics to date, totaling, 464K post reach, 220K post engagements and 775 new likes in a single week.

Giving light to BGU's impact, Gill responded to a national news story of a girl who was sexually assaulted at her public school. BGU sought out its own village of high profile women and mentors, nationwide, to write letters of love that would complement a gift basket sent to the girl. This was purposed to inspire her core which may have been marred by the noise of the nation's victim-blaming. BGU learned there were 2 additional girls, both sexually assaulted, who needed supports. Gill vividly recalls the call she received from their counsel, Carrie Goldberg, Attorney At Law. All three girls were tremendously impacted. Goldberg wrote, "I can't even tell you how grateful I am that your organization exists." It was a testament to the outcomes Black Girls Unscripted strives for.

Today, Black Girls Unscripted is a unique community of 15,000+ women and girls; a multifaceted organization to include merchandise, women and teen programming, hosting online and in-person events. Baltimore City Public Schools, Prince George's County Public Schools, Bozzuto Properties, Shea Moisture, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and Macy's are a short list of organizations who have served as partners.

When asked about plans for greater capacity, Gill responded. "I have an ambitious goal of expanding BGU Circles (women-led circles committed to advancing the mission of Black Girls Unscripted and galvanizing locally) across every major city and college campus in the U.S. by 2025. Partnerships with other women/girl-serving organizations, churches, schools, city agencies, community organizations, private companies, and funders will be crucial to meeting this goal."

Visit www.blackgirlsunscripted.org to learn more, subscribe, and support. Its newest initiatives can be found at https://www.blackgirlsunscripted.org/our-programs.

ABOUT - Black Girls Unscripted (est. 2014) - a grassroots movement dedicated to harnessing the power of storytelling in digital and community spaces with the mission to connect, heal, and empower women and girls. It was awarded its nonprofit tax-exempt status in 2018. Tiffany Gill, visionary and chief, is a highly-requested speaker on the topics of self-esteem, media literacy, Black girlshood, leadership, social justice and the power of authentic storytelling. In 2017, Gill became a L'Oreal Woman of the Year semifinalist. Her writings have been featured in The Root.com, Huffington Post and For Harriet. Follow Black Girls Unscripted at Facebook /BlackGirlsUnscripted, Twitter at @bgunscripted and join the conversation using hashtags #BlackGirlsUnscripted #TheStoytellerMatters #TellOurDaughters #GriotGirl #LimitlessHer and #GirlUnscripted. www.BlackGirlsUnscripted.org | info@BlackGirlsUnscripted.org | https://www.youtube.com/user/BlackWomenUnscripted | Griot Girls -  https://www.blackgirlsunscripted.org/our-programs | Limitless Her -  https://limitlessher.com/blog | Photo Caption: None

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