Join us \;in person \;for a powerf ul celebratory showcase honoring \;Black and Brown girls! Taking place at the South Berkeley library Saturday\,April 25\, 1-3pm\, this event is about sharing positivity\, showing love and uplifting girls from Black and Latin X communities. Facilitated by \;Milani Pelley \;and featuri ng \;Alie Jones\, this showcase will be legendary\, with special perfo rmances by \;Longfellow Middle School's \;Black Girl Legacy \; Group.
\nThis event came directly from &ldquo\;curious conversations &rdquo\; (field research) with Black Parents in Berkeley\, conducted by Mi lani Pelley\, from 2023-2025. From these &ldquo\;curious conversations&rdq uo\; a recurring concern of bullying and shame around Black girls&rsquo\; bodies\, specifically preteens and teens\, and identities\, was brought up \, with no safe spaces for Black girls to go to in Berkeley. \;Black a nd Brown Girl Affirmations \;creates this space in Berkeley through a celebratory showcase!
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FREE FOOD and FREE SHOWCASE!
ALL AGES Welcome!
Want to Perform???? \;Email&n
bsp\;queenast@gmail.com. \;Theme is Black and Brown Girl Affirmations.
Priority will be given to Black and Brown pre-teens and teens and Berkele
y Unified School District Students. Open until filled.
Milani Pelley&nb sp\;was born and raised and gave birth in Berkeley. She believes Black peo ple belong in Berkeley and strives towards Making Berkeley Black Again. Mi lani believes in Matriarchy and Divine Love and uses her gifts as an aboli tionist educator\, philanthropist\, poet\, innovator\, and facilitator of self expression and healing to provide safe spaces and change reality. Mil ani sits on the Superintendent's African American Success Advisory Committ ee of Berkeley Unified School District. Milani has performed at the Opera House in San Francisco and for activists Will i.am\, Saul Williams\, Jesse Jackson\, and Angela Davis. She solely represented Oakland in the Women o f the World Poetry Slam in 2010. She was a part of Team Oakland in 2010\,p lacing top four in group-piece finals\, and was a member of Team Oakland i n 2011\, ranking top ten in the nation. She has been a Poet-Teacher for Ca lifornia Poets in the Schools since 2022\, teaching as Poet Teacher throug hout Berkeley Unified School District.
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Alie Jones \;is a writer\, artist\, and Creole mermaid. She is t he author of \;Saltwater Moonshine\, a poetry \;collection that ho nors her matrilineal Creole heritage through poetry\, music\, and reflecti ons of love. Alie is passionate about centering our breath work as sacred and hopes to build a legacy of awareness and expression. She is the Direct or and Co-founder of \;Black Freighter Press\, a revolutionary press c ommitted to the exploration of liberation. Alie is the host of the podcast called \;Chit Chat with Aliecat\, exploring self-care practices &\ ; journeys of self-love. She received her MPA from the Middlebury Institut e of International Studies as well as a MFA from Mills College in Creative Writing.
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