Black Girls Rock premiered last night and I was front and center watching every minute of it.  I started watching #BGR every year since it began and each year it is an awesome and insipring awards show.  The ceremony takes the time to recognize women of color who are breaking barriors and creating lifelong legacies in this world, and motivating our young black women and little black girls to break their own barriors and create their own legacies as well. It is a very empowering experience for me personally.  From honorees like Erykah Badu, Jada Pinkett Smith, Cicely Tyson and Ava Duverney,  to performances by Sheila E., Jill Scott ,Faith Evans and Fantasia; it was a great show!!

Black Girls ROCK is something that is so NEEDED in this world. We are criticized for our skin color, our hair, our walk, our talk, our personality, our attitude, our intelligence. This movement gives us the opportunity to embrace ourselves positively. And to embrace other women of color. It is our own public display to celebrate just how awesome we truly are.

The highlights for me were of course, the First Lady, and how she was just completely flawless.  Also, seeing Will Smith show the unconditional love and support for his wife, Jada was awesome.  We need more presence of Black love in the media.  Show more men uplifting their queens and supporting them in their dreams and endeavors.  Principal Nadia Lopez also shared that she tells her students that they wear black and purple because we are descendants of royalty.  That is so true, and to have someone telling our youth that sets them up for greatness in their future.

Another highlight for me is when Jada Pinkett Smith was giving her speech, she said “you are enough as you are”. This speaks to me in that it reminds me that what some may see as just a part of life, others see as an outstanding achievement.  I have been blessed enough to be inducted into the club called “Mom”, so I am already a black girl who rocks in my opinion.  If nothing more, I have a 1-person fan club, I have a cheerleader, I have a person watching my every move and it’s imperative that I uphold myself with the utmost dignity and respect because I want my daughter to be a reflection of me one day.  No woman who has brought life into this world should ever feel less than great, because you are great and if no one else, your child thinks so.

I also enjoy seeing thee M.A.D (Making a Difference) girls as well.  Some of them are very young, and have accomplished big things in such a short time.  It is a blessing to see our youth making a change in their communities and within their generation and hope that more and more young people recognize that they have so much power to change the world, all they have to do is give it a try and put their mind to it.

I truly hope to see the #BlackGirlsRock movement get bigger and better every year. Here are some quotes from last night’s show that I thought were pretty awesome that I would like to try to remember:

“The moment anyone tries to demean you in any way, you have to know how great you are.” – Cicely Tyson

“No one is going to bother to put you down if you are not a threat to them.” – Cicely Tyson

“We are enough as we are, you are enough as you are.” – Jada Pinkett Smith

“When I looked in the mirror, I saw a tall, and smart and beautiful black girl.” – First Lady Michelle Obama

“Figure out what you need to do to be the heroine of your own story.” – Ava Duverney

“Our protests need to be in our homes and in our schools before they spill out into the streets.” – Principal Nadia Lopez