by Queen Muse

It’s been an amazing year for black women. From entertainment to politics to sports, black women have slashed records, made history, and stood up nobly for important causes, for themselves and for one another. These are the #BlackGirlMagic moments that made us laugh, cry tears of joy or shout a unified “Yaaasss!” in celebration of our fellow sisters.

by Ryane Nicole Granados


I typically don’t allow my young sons to amass large amounts of conventional media. Raising them in sunny California, surrounded by likeminded families while carpooling to our local constructivist charter school also helps in my efforts to protect their developing mental skies. As a result, it shocked my 7-year old when I told him to sit down and watch the news with me. The story I wanted him to see was the story of a heroic woman named Bree Newsome. I made it a point to let him soak up as many images as possible of a valiant Ms. Newsome scaling the flagpole at the South Carolina statehouse and taking down the confederate flag. “She looks like a soldier Mommy, but why is she taking it down? I responded, as I often do, with an eager, “Good question, son.” Usually this retort is met with slumped shoulders and a child sinking deeper into his seat. He knows an unsolicited educational lesson is about to commence. This time, however, my “Good question, son” was met with wide-eyed enthusiasm. While she is undoubtedly an icon for little black girls worldwide, below are five things my sons and other little boys can also learn from Bree Newsome!

by C. Imani Williams

Brittany Ann Byuraium “Bree” Newsome, made a heroic effort by climbing the flagpole at the South Carolina statehouse and removing the racist confederate flag. In fact, 37-year-old Newsome who hails from Charlotte, North Carolina made a Supershero move. The black filmmaker and activist moved past legislators tarrying on the vote, who have taken centuries to decide if Black people had endured enough hurt. They took much too long for Newsome and countless others forced to live with the flag, and its glaring painful history in plain view. She climbed for us, beating the government to the punch and gifting life lessons to black girls on being fearless and beautiful. Bree's climb, her arrest, and her illustration in superhero gear across social media, all help in making her a real life Black Supershero.

by Altheria Gaston

Over the last few days, I’ve been thinking a lot about Brittany Ann (Bree) Newsome, the social justice activist who, in an amazing act of defiance, scaled the pole and removed the Confederate flag in front of the South Carolina Statehouse. In many Internet circles, this courageous Black woman has been rightly accorded hero status. When I first heard about Bree, I immediately thought of Alice Walker’s description of womanist. In her multifaceted definition of womanist, Walker includes the following meaning:

Activist and filmmaker Bree Newsome garnered national attention when she climbed a flagpole and took down the Confederate Flag flying above the South Carolina statehouse. Newsome made the daring feat the morning of June 27, 2015. Two days later, she has made the first statement about her iconic act and subsequent arrest.