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$250

for 12 classes
Class

Black Girl Magic: Introduction to Black Girlhood Studies

New class
Ages 13-18
Live Group Course
In this 6 week course, students will learn about Black Girlhood Studies, a fast developing knowledge base that gives specific attention to the nuances of Black histories and futures through the eyes of Black girls.
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:
(4 reviews)

Live video meetings
2x per week, 6 weeks
10-18 learners per class
80 min

What's included

12 live meetings
16 in-class hours
Assignments
2-4 hours per week. Each week, students will be given supplementary reading and visual content to support their learning. Most of these readings will be provided by the teacher, but there are a few novels that we will read as as a community. The readings will take 30 minutes to an hour between class meetings to read and unpack. Please pace yourself during your reading and take notes. Feel free to message Ms. Morgan should you have questions/concerns about the content. During the final week of class, students will present group presentations centered around a predetermined topic. Students will be allotted 20-25 minutes at the end of classes to collaborate on their presentation from Week 5, onward. More instruction on this aspect of class will be shared during weeks 3 and 4 of class.
Projects
3-6 throughout the class
Assessment
Final presentations will assess the depth of knowledge and analysis acquired over the duration of the course.

Class Experience

US Grade 8 - 11
This course offers an in-depth exploration of Black Girlhood Studies, an evolving academic field that centers the histories, experiences, and cultural contributions of Black girls. Black girl narratives are often erased or overlooked in historical retellings and contemporary discussions. This class challenges that invisibility by examining Black girls as organizers, artists, innovators, and change-makers who have shaped history and continue to influence society today.

Through a mix of critical discussion, historical analysis, and creative storytelling, students will explore key concepts such as misogynoir, colorism, adultification, safekeeping, and healing while analyzing the historical and present-day challenges Black girls face. Each session will weave in fashion activism, hair politics, spiritual traditions, and Black girl pop culture, revealing how Black girls have used creativity and community to resist oppression and affirm their identities.

Students will also engage in autoethnographic reflection and artistic expression, documenting their personal journeys through journaling, poetry, photography, and storytelling. The course will culminate in a digital archive project, where students will create essays, podcasts, short films, or visual projects envisioning the future of Black girlhood.

Core Beliefs of the Course:
1) Black girls are creators of history, culture, and change. Their stories deserve to be documented, studied, and celebrated.
2) Education should be an exchange. This class values the experiences and perspectives of Black girls and fosters a space for meaningful conversation and learning.
3) All Black girls are visionaries. Their lived experiences, activism, and artistic expression shape the past, present, and future.

Each class will open with intentional reflection and affirmation, followed by a structured discussion integrating Google slide presentations, historical texts, pop culture analysis, and assigned readings. Students will be introduced to Black feminist methodologies such as autoethnography, autopoetics, and worldbuilding, allowing them to craft their own narratives and critically engage with Black girlhood in its many forms.

SP 2025 #BlackGirlMagic: Introduction to Black Girlhood Studies lays the foundation for understanding this emerging field.
FL 2025 #BlackGirlsMatter: Continuing Black Girlhood Studies is for students who want to take their exploration further, diving deeper into activism, representation, and Black girl worldbuilding.

Who Should Take This Class?:
This course is designed for students who are passionate about history, activism, writing, culture, and self-expression. It is a space for those who want to explore the complexities of Black girlhood, connect with historical figures, and create work that amplifies Black girl stories.

This isn’t just a class—it’s an archive, a movement, and a celebration of Black girlhood. Let’s write, reflect, and build the future together.

Learning Goals

Develop a critical understanding of Black Girlhood Studies as an academic field, recognizing the historical and cultural contributions of Black girls in shaping movements, policies, and artistic expression.
Analyze systemic challenges faced by Black girls, including misogynoir, adultification, colorism, and the school-to-prison pipeline, while exploring their historical roots and contemporary impact.

Syllabus

Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created Curriculum
2 Units
12 Lessons
over 6 Weeks
Unit 1: Foundations of Black Girlhood Studies
Lesson 1:
The Introduction (Part I)
 On Day 1, students will be introduced to Black Girlhood Studies as an academic field, exploring how race, gender, and class intersect to shape Black girlhood. Topics include intersectionality, respectability politics, the criminalization of Black girls, adultification, misrecognition, colorism, and cultural appropriation. Students will engage in discussion and reflection to begin unpacking the historical and present-day experiences of Black girls. 
80 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
The Introduction (Part II)
 Building on Day 1, this session deepens our understanding of why Black Girlhood Studies exists as an interdisciplinary field of study. Students will explore how narratives about Black girls have been shaped historically and how these perceptions impact contemporary experiences. We will also discuss the importance of creating counter-narratives and reclaiming Black girl stories through literature, activism, and media. 
80 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Mapping Black Girlhood History (Part I)
 This lesson explores the 19th & 20th-century experiences of Black girls and their contributions to history. We will examine case studies such as Latasha Harlins, the LA Riots, and the legacy of Trayvon Martin, analyzing how state violence disproportionately affects Black youth. Students will reflect on how historical injustices connect to present-day activism and movements for justice. 
80 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Mapping Black Girlhood in History (Part II)
 In this session, we highlight unsung Black girls in history-figures like Sarah Rector, Claudette Colvin, and Ruby Bridges, who made significant but often overlooked contributions. Through storytelling and archival materials, students will engage in a discussion about the role of young Black girls in resistance movements and consider how their narratives have been shaped by mainstream history. 
80 mins online live lesson

Other Details

Parental Guidance
Politically and culturally sensitive topics will be discussed each week of class with some topics being heavier than others. We will routinely approach highly sensitive topics including state-sanctioned violence, police brutality, criminality and systemic oppression. The course educator has undergone significant Diversity, Inclusion and Sensitivity trainings to properly support students in understanding and processing this information. Sessions where tough topics will emerge will be preceded by a content warning. Google Drive/Classroom/Suite Apps: Google Drive & Classroom will only be used during our allotted class time, for the last 20-25 minutes of sessions 6-14 and the entirety of session 15. Student groups will collaborate on their final presentations during this time. Quizlet: Students will utilize Quizlet to review important terms and definitions as they curate their final presentation. Spotify: Students will be tasked with creating a shared playlist during sessions 1 & 2 of the course. The instructor will screen and organize the playlist and play it during class work periods. YouTube: Pre-screened content from YouTube will be included in Google slide presentations presented to the class via screen-share. The 2-4 hours of week outside of class are not to be spent working within Google Classroom/Suites, but to read & engage with the next session's assigned reading.
Supply List
· Notepad/Notebook: We're going to learn about key terms, definitions and topics that you'll want to keep track of. Using a notepad, notebook or dedicated writing space will help you keep track of your learning archive.

· Required Reading:
1) Pushout by Monique Morris
2) Homegirls & Handgrenades by Sonia Sanchez
3) A Black Women's History of the United States by Daina Ramey Berry & Kali Nicole Gross
4) Black Girlhood Studies – Aria S. Halliday
5) Buy Black by Aria S. Halliday
6) Black Girls and How We Fail Them by Aria S. Halliday

· Additional articles will be provided by the instructor, along with a printable PDF journal and syllabus.
Language of Instruction
English (Level: B1)
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Sources
Black Girlhood in the Nineteenth Century by Nazera Wright The Black Girlhood Studies Collection by Aria Halliday Shapeshifters: Black Girls and the Choreography of Citizenship by Aimee Meredith Cox Buy Black: How Black Women Transformed US Pop Culture by Aria Halliday Feminist Food Studies by: Barbara Parker Black Girl, Call Home by: Jasmine Mans

Meet the teacher

Joined July, 2022
5.0
4reviews
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Morgan Jael is a graduate of Washington University in St Louis where she earned her Bachelors of Arts Degree in African/African American Studies and participated in the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Research Fellowship where she surveyed the cultural experiences contributions of Black girls in the southern landscape in the 19th and 20th century. 

She is a historian, sociologist, and social justice educator who has worked in both public and charter K-12 school spaces, with in-person and virtual experience. Her proudest moments as an organizer and educator include the successful creation and implementation of a social justice/history curriculum that led to her creating Black Girls Know Best, a community non-profit organization that amplifies Black girls voice through creative mediums. 

She also worked with the National Park Service's African American Civil Rights Network and Junior Ranger program, curating relevant and informative history content that supported the Network's growth.

Here on Outschool she offers a wide range of classes including 'The Civil Rights Movement and Black Foodways' and 'Black Girl Magic: Introduction to Black Girlhood Studies', amongst many others.

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