Black Girl Magic uplifts us all.
Being in the company of Black greatness has also uplifted Dr. Browne when she felt as though her own Black Girl Magic was being dimmed. The poet was at the center of controversy in 2024 when both her books, Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice and Woke Baby, were banned from various schools across the country due to their themes of social justice, Black empowerment, and activism.
“I think the book banning was really painful, more so because folks, they congratulate you, and they’re like, ‘Oh, that means your book is selling out,’ and it is great. It does mean that your book is doing something, but at the cost of your life, at the cost of your humanity, at the cost of you feeling safe. Those were moments, really painful moments to experience, to witness, to live through, to remember.”
Dr. Browne found a renewed sense of hope when Councilmember Darius Gregory, alongside a group of parents in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, united to have Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice placed back on the shelves of Martin Elementary School. The move came in response to an attempt by a parent to have the book removed from the school library without providing any justification, according to NBC News.
“I was so delighted, right? I said, ‘Oh, these parents ain’t playing.’ Because that’s what happened. It took the parents standing in front of that for me to say, okay, thank goodness. Like, somebody got me right?” the poet shared. “So, for those parents to come out and say absolutely not and to stand against it and fight them off, that gave me the blueprint. I just need parents to stand up for these books [because] the people who put it on the list didn’t even read it. That’s the other thing I learned. It was put on the banned list without being read.”
This turning point hasn’t deterred her path to greatness. Instead, it has ignited a deeper sense of purpose and responsibility to uplift Black women and girls for generations to come. For Dr. Browne, Black Girl Magic has evolved into more than a poem, an annual celebration, or a slogan; it’s a lifelong commitment.
“To incite such nasty behavior from folks who just have an issue with you loving yourself, you seeing yourself in this day in age–I realized the power of just reclaiming joy, the power of just seeing yourself in spaces that if not, try to erase, definitely try to diminish, your worth.”
The impact is undeniable. Dr. Browne shared that she was moved to tears watching a 7-year-old girl recite Black Girl Magic during an oratory competition, feeling a deep sense of relief and pride knowing that her words and work have held meaning and power for the young student, and hopefully, for generations to come.
“That’s when I knew [I was] a part of the fabric of our being, for real. I was alive to see it. That’s the soul of this. It started as a homage, and now it has become a mantra for all Black girls,” Dr. Browne added.
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