SOUTHERN BLACK GIRLS AND WOMEN’S CONSORTIUM HOSTED THE 2024 BLACK GIRLS DREAM CONFERENCE BEFORE A SOLD-OUT CROWD OF GIRLS AND WOMEN 

Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium’s sold-out conference hosted more than 1300 girls and women from across the country to experience and celebrate Black Girl Joy in Atlanta!

(ATLANTA) The Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium (Southern Black Girls) recently held the 2024 Black Girls Dream Conference, in Atlanta. The two-day, sold out event took place Friday, June 7 – Saturday, June 8, 2024 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. The Conference welcomed more than 1300 attendees to a safe space full of love, fun and sisterhood as well as an experience that inspired, empowered, and cultivated the dreams of southern Black girls, gender-expansive youth and Black women of all ages.

The 2024 Black Girls Dream Conference hosted a series of dynamic, interactive workshops led by inspiring speakers as well as impactful conversations centering mental wellness, health, beauty, social justice, financial literacy, and much more. This year’s theme was “Afrofuturism: Intelligence, Innovation, Investment,” created to explore the expansiveness of the Black experience and hold space for deeper conversations and connections that can help guide and build radical futures for Black girls and women. It also tied directly to Southern Black Girls’ vision to provide an immersive space where Black girls and women can explore different pieces of who they are, what they love and what brings them joy.

Through the inclusion of impactful voices and special programming, the 2024 Black Girls Dream Conference encouraged a creative movement where culture, technology and innovation intersect, and created an experience to advance the future of Black identity, agency and liberation; especially for Black girls and women. Thanks to partners and sponsors such as the Ludacris Foundation, the special programming of this year’s conference focused on Intelligence, Innovation and Investment:

Intelligence: Powered by the Gates Foundation, the “Black Women of the Global South” panel was a curated delegation of women from all across the African diaspora who shared insights, challenges, solutions and opportunities related to issues facing communities of color throughout the global south. The delegation included Aline Odara (Brazil), Beatrice Gakuba (Rwanda), Jacqueline Idun (U.S. & Ghana), Naana Akyaa Asante (Ghana), Cynthia Ellis Topsey (Belize), Dawn Stewart (Guyana), Coumba Toure (Senegal), Cruz Helena Valencia Moreno (Colombia) and Barbara A. Perkins (U.S. & Bahamas).

Innovation: The conference enlisted the help of Microsoft to help highlight the power of S.T.E.A.M. by showcasing groundbreaking technology, spotlighting live demonstrations and new products, and creating space for hands-on access to A.I., coding, robotics, cosmetic chemistry and more. Through the “Tech Salon,” attendees were able to explore creative and practical  uses for all ages, thus revolutionizing what tomorrow can look like for Black girls and women.

Investment: The exciting “We Got Now!” panel returned as “We Got Now! The Power of S.T.E.A.M. to Build Radical Futures for Black Girls.” The panelists included Laila Pruitt (Starz’s BMF), Naya Ellis (Creator of Wingltt), Cruz Helena Valencia Moreno (Innovation Girls), Jacqueline Idun (Ghanaian-Diaspora Nursing Alliance) and Gabby Goodwin (Gabby Bows), who represented a few of the amazing next-generation voices who are impacting our present and taking position as the changemakers and innovators of our future!

One of the highlights of the conference featured a “Moving the Legacy Forward” fireside chat with Dr. Bernice King, youngest daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mrs. Corretta Scott King. Dr. Bernice King spoke before a packed ballroom of girls and women on Saturday evening who were eager to hear from her as she spoke earnestly on her life experiences.

“I see myself as a person that has to set an example for a world where there’s very few examples of what it means to be a dignified person,” said Dr. Bernice King, who shared her experience in embracing and protecting her father’s legacy.

Additional highlights included a Lush Lounge, where attendees were able to make and take home curated beauty products from Lush Cosmetics. This was such a popular cosmetic chemistry session, that the line poured from the lounge! The emphasis on natural beauty & hair care aligned perfectly with the Natural Hair: Curls, Braids and Business session with Taliah Waajid, founder of the World Natural Hair Show and Taliah Waajid products. This was a packed-out session where each attendee also received a free full-size product. 

Latosha Brown, visionary founder of Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium, closed out the conference with remarks and special acknowledgements. 

“This conference pours back into us as much as it pours into the girls and women who travel from all of the world to be a part of this movement designed for them,” said Latosha Brown. “To see so many women and girls come and celebrate not just themselves but each other, is something to marvel at. It is a joy to inspire, educate, and provide resources to the next generation of extraordinary leaders.”

For more information on the work and impact of the Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium, visit www.SouthernBlackGirls.org, or follow @SouthernBlackGirls on Facebook, and Instagram and @BlackGirlsDream on Twitter.