18 AMERICAN BLUES THEATER Black Girl Magic is a concept and movement that was popularized by CaShawn Thompson in 2013. The concept was born as a way to "celebrate the beauty, power and resilience of black women", as described by Julee Wilson from Huffington Post, and to congratulate black women on their accomplishments. In 2013, Thompson coined the phrase via the hashtag #BlackGirlsAreMagic—now shortened to #BlackGirlMagic—to create an online dialogue centered around the achievements of black women, in a society that has historically recognized very few of these achievements. Since being popularized, one can find the hashtag being used on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and other social media and mainstream media platforms, celebrating positive messages and images of black women all across the globe. Referring to a speech made by Michelle Obama at the Black Girls Rock Awards, Thompson explains that black women around the world persevering despite adversity inspired her to spread the concept of Black Girl Magic. With these women in mind, Thompson created the social media hashtag, clothing campaign, and rallying cry "Black Girl Magic", in the hopes of counteracting negativity society places on black women. "I say 'magic' because it's something that people don't always understand," Thompson told The Los Angeles Times. She went on to explain how "Sometimes our accomplishments might seem to come out of thin air, because a lot of times, the only people supporting us are other black women." At its core, the purpose of this movement is to create a platform where women of color can stand together against the stereotyping, misogynoir, and racism that is often their lived experience. Though born online, the movement has inspired many organizations across the world to host events using the title. The movement has also seen celebrity support, as singers Corinne Bailey Rae, Janelle Monáe, and Solange Knowles have invoked the concept, and ballerina Misty Copeland and President Barack Obama discussed the idea in an interview for Time and Essence magazines. ABOUT BLACK GIRL MAGIC In contemporary terms, the women of Flyin’ West could be described as having “Black Girl Magic”. Below is a look at the popular hashtag that became a cultural movement. CaShawn Thompson, Creator of Black Girl Magic Misty Copeland and President Barack Obama discussing Black Girl Magic