April has been recognized as Arab American Heritage Month by President Joe Biden as of 2021. Although this new recognition shines a very important light on the diverse and complex stories of Arab Americans, the population is by no means new to the United States. Middle Eastern Migrants started coming to the U.S. in noticeable numbers in the mid 1880’s and continued to grow in numbers ever since, today there are nearly 3.7 million Arab Americans in the United States with Texas having the fourth-largest Arab American population in the country at almost 200,000 individuals.

While Black History Month is another opportunity for us to show love to people that have done great things and that we appreciate, it is also a time to educate ourselves on African American history and what is taking place in the world today. We thank all of these amazing Queen’s and highlight the amazing women that some of our staff admire.

The Grow, Girl, Grow: How-To Series is a collection of volunteer-made tutorials, spanning from how to change a tire to how to make overnight oats! These How-To videos not only educate and inspire our girls to be unstoppable, but also give them something to do while sheltering in place. By learning from these Grow, Girl, Grow: How-To videos, girls in grades 3-12 are flexing their 6 C’s: communication, creativity, confidence, collaboration, coping skills, and critical thinking!

Giving insight into how instersectionality plays a vital role in the LGBTQIA+ community, Dr. April Owen expands on the inequalities and injustices as well as the joy and victories within the LGBTQIA+ community and speaks on her personal experiences.

GIRLS aims to elevate and highlight Black and communities of color who have laid foundational work for the LGBTQ+ community. Pride Month is not only a colorful and vibrant celebration- it is a remembrance of the difficulty of the people working for equal rights in the workplace, social settings, and society.

As many people continue to advocate for racial justice and protest police brutality, there are many Americans who may not understand the significance of Juneteenth and its impact on many Black Americans today. We at Girls Empowerment Network want to recognize and celebrate Juneteenth by sharing a few facts with you about this American holiday.

A wonderful staff member, founder of her own non-profit, and a pageant winner Bria Virgil plays many roles in her community and gives 110% to everything does. Bria has been with Girls Empowerment Network since March of this year and during our interview with Bria, we talked more about her life growing up as a Black girl and her views on current events.

At Girls Empowerment Network we believe every girl has power and every girl has a unique perspective to share with the world. We are committed to amplifying every girls voice and give her a space to be heard. We are proud this week to be able to feature Amaya Kincaid as our guest writer for this week’s Girls Empowerment Network Blog sharing her powerful perspective and lived experience as a young black girl living in America and her hopes and dream for equality and racial justice for all!