Black Girl Magic Conference teaches black girls in Madison to love the skin they’re in

MADISON, Wis. — There are some things you just don’t learn in school. Rosa Thompson is a teacher at Hawthorne Elementary School and the founder of the Black Girl Magic Conference. Thompson is aiming to show all black girls in the Madison school district to love the skin they’re in.

“I just want our girls to know that anything is possible,” she said.

Thompson’s event started last year and around 80-100 students showed up. This year, there were 400 students there.

“It’s just really nice to see the joy that they have,” Thompson said.

The conferences consisted of breakout sessions including the magic of pharmaceuticals, the magic of fitness, the magic of self-image, the magic of architecture, the magic of construction, the magic of hair, the magic of money, the magic of nursing, the magic of botany, the magic of dreaming and the magic of gratitude.

The conferences were mostly led by black women who served as mentors to the students to show them that there are black woman in their community that achieved their dreams and worked hard to get there.

“If they can’t see what they can be, they might not believe what they can be,” Thompson said.

Students said some of the main things they learned were that, “I’m beautifully and wonderfully made,” to “be yourself” and that ​​​​”you are capable of anything you set your mind to.”

Thompson said she hopes the event grows even larger in the years to come.

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