When I decided to relaunch my blog, I knew that I needed to have a purpose. I didn’t just want to talk into the void, and I didn’t want my voice to be the only one I shared. I wanted to create a space for the things and people that mattered to me. And right at the top of that list was shining the spotlight on Black women.

I’m sure some people might wonder, “Why Black women? Why not Black men too? Or all women? Or all people for that matter.”

The short answer is that you can’t be for everybody. But the long answer, I think, is much more important than that. Let me explain.

In August of last year, I found myself in a room of more than 160 Black women at the Black Beauty Brunch. Everywhere I turned, there was melanin glowing and curls popping. From the hum of conversation, I heard the exclamations of compliments delivered in that way only Black women can. I was lucky enough to be on the receiving end of some of those compliments myself, and let me tell you, the way a Black woman compliments you can fuel your self-esteem for weeks straight.

Then I got up to speak. I was shaking in my tangerine orange stilettos. But looking back at me were 160 faces in every shade of brown. And I felt seen. Not in that way that makes you want to crawl under a rock and hide. I felt seen in a way that made me feel validated and valued. Those women were there for me. I could have stuttered out gibberish, and they would have found a way to encourage me through it.

It reminded me of singing in church. Church aunties are the OG ego boosters. Nothing keeps you upright, confident, and singing in key like the “Go on, baby” of a church aunty. That specific brand of motivation must be in the blood, because there are so many moments in my life when Black women, young, old, and in between, have kept me upright and moving forward when I wasn’t sure if I could.

Black women have shaped me. I grew up surrounded by them. (The Leacock family tree is full of women). @@It is in Black women’s company that I have felt most certain of myself and my purpose. When I am surrounded by Black women, I feel safe in a way that I can’t really define.@@ Maybe it’s because when I look at Black women, I see all the many parts of myself. Maybe that’s the definition of Black girl magic—we’re not a monolith, but despite how diverse we are, we’re tied together by a shared ability to prop each other up and push each other forward, to say “I see you” with a look and “I value you” with a smile.

But I also believe it’s important for us to say, “I see you” and “I value you” in words. That’s why I’ve spent Black History month highlighting and holding up the Black women who help me become more of myself every single day. I filled my Instagram stories with their magic, and something really remarkable happened.

So many of these women replied to tell me how much they needed to hear what I said, to thank me for seeing them, and to remind me that they saw me too. Everyday, I got to put a little joy into a Black woman’s heart, and they all responded by pouring some back into mine. And I think that’s the magic too.

As Black women, we’re in a double bind. We’re female in world of patriarchy and Black in a world of white supremacy. Everywhere we go, we feel that weight. @@From our workplaces to our communities to society at large, it can often feel like the odds are stacked against us, and the battle always seems to be uphill. But in the words of Miss Maya, “Still, we rise.”@@

We still create remarkable things from our bare hands and unbridled determination. We still glow in our melanin and radiate beauty. We still shower each other with love and support . We still manage to turn challenging circumstances into unlikely successes. We still rise.

I think it’s important to acknowledge that. Because it’s no easy feat. I believe in celebrating those successes –the personal ones and the professional ones – and using them as reminders of just how remarkable we are.

So, the question of why Black women, both for my Black History Month celebration and the storytellers I highlight on my blog is this: Because we’re magical, and everyone should know it. By making my little corner of the internet a space that puts Black womanhood in the spotlight, I’m doing my part to spread the magic.