On July 7th, we celebrated ConvHERsations & Cocktails, an event dedicated to investing in women’s economic empowerment. We had an insightful and engaging evening complete with networking, live music (shoutout to DJ No ID!!), headshots for our VIP ticket-holders, and a panel discussion with some amazing executive women! The event was a huge success, due in no small part to each of our fabulous attendees. We are so grateful for you and the amazing turnout that we had. This was a completely sold out event, with people reaching out to try to get tickets right up until the doors opened! If you were not able to attend, check out our lookbook and highlight video, and make sure you get tickets early next year! We would love to see you there.

In honor of Black Women’s Equal Pay Day (the approximate day when Black women’s wages of the last year plus the amount earned so far this year catches up to what white men earned last year alone), BGV and our friends at The WELL hosted an IG Live conversation on the wage gap and how it specifically affects Black women. Because of this disparity, Black women often have to get side hustles and work multiple jobs just to be able to “break even” in earning what white men would be paid in the same position. In addition to this, there is also an incalculable strain on Black women’s physical and mental health due to the stress of wearing so many hats just to make ends meet. This is unacceptable. We encourage you to reach out to your elected officials and show your support for the Paycheck Fairness Act and stay tuned for the release of our Salary Negotiation Guide this week!

Black women continue to fight for our right to vote. Congressional Black Caucus Committee Chair Rep. Joyce Beatty was recently arrested outside of the Capitol, along with eight other individuals, while expressing their support of voting rights. In a statement after the event, Rep. Beatty said, “I stand in solidarity with Black women and allies across the country in defense of our constitutional right to vote.” Following these events, BGV Founder & CEO Nykidra Robinson was interviewed on the Black News Channel about Black women’s civic health and the importance of fighting voter suppression. Check out the full interview here. For more information about Black Women’s civic health, take a look at our recent report, Black Women Did That: A Call to Invest in the Civic Health of Black Women in America.

This month, our very own Krystal Leaphart, Advocacy Team Co-Lead, wrote a blog post for The Brown Girls Guide to Politics. In it, she discusses our recent report titled Black Women Did That: A Call to Invest in the Civic Health of Black Women in America. In it, she discusses how Black women lead when it comes to actually getting to the polls and bringing in others to vote as well, but tend to fall behind when it comes to non-electoral participation.
Her piece once again brings to light the disparity between Black women’s involvement in electoral politics, compared to other forms of civic engagement. She highlights access as a means to increased participation outside of the electoral process. Obstacles to participation that Black women typically face have to do with a lack of resources (time, financial, childcare, etc). Addressing these hurdles is the first step to improving Black women’s civic health. Check out Krystal’s blog post here!
On July 18th, BGV Outreach team attended the Black Wall Street Festival, which brings together Black business owners to create a community and elevate our city. Our Outreach Team promoted the BGV mission by engaging our community and getting festival attendees registered to vote. People who stopped by our table also were able to purchase some of our dope BGV merch!! Follow us on social media (@BlackGirlsVote) to stay up to date on volunteer opportunities and outreach events coming up this month. Our next event will be Sunday, August 8th, from 11:00AM – 4:00PM for B&O Railroad Museum Community Day. See you there!

Tenné Thrower is a life-long resident of Baltimore and product of Baltimore City and County Schools. She has a wealth of knowledge and an unmatched dedication to improving educational and social emotional outcomes for families. Tenné has been recognized in the local and regional press for successfully developing and implementing several community-led engagement strategies with school visioning campaigns within non-profits and schools throughout Baltimore.

She is a proud dual degree graduate of the first HBCU, the Lincoln University of Pennsylvania. Her experience with serving Baltimore’s underrepresented families and communities has provided opportunities for many families, youth, and small nonprofit/business owners of Baltimore. She has worked with a plethora of youth and advocacy organizations in Baltimore for over 12 years including working with the former Mayor’s Mentoring Program, Baltimore’s First Free Public Boarding School, Boys Hope Girls Hope of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins Middle Grades Partnership, Broken Promise Schools Non Profit, Justice Or Else 20th Anniversary of the Million Man March, National Action Network, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, NC, Baltimore Education Coalition, Mid Atlantic Equity Consortium (MAEC), Black Girls Global Exchange, and last but certainly not least Black Girls Vote, Inc.

Tenné is a dynamic 35-year-old life changing, humble woman who lives by the quotes: “Pay it Forward” and “It’s not the size of the load it’s how you carry it”. Ms. Thrower is currently a Community Schools Specialist for Baltimore City Public School System & a CEO of two consulting companies offering community engagement, project/event management and production services via Thee Event Curators and as a co-founder of The R.E.A.L. (which stands for Resilience, Equity, Advocacy, and Love) Project. The REAL project is committed to empowering & supporting families of Baltimore.

Ms. Tenné Thrower is a living testimony to the resilience of the families of Baltimore. Confronting the challenges of poverty, trauma and inequities in our educational system – Tenné has been able to use these barriers as a catalyst for change, hope and progress within the Baltimore Community broadly.

In addition to all of these things, Tenné is one of the first members of BGV, helping to build and expand the organization with her expertise in event planning and coordination, and her passion for Baltimore and Black women everywhere.

We see you, Tenné! We are proud of the work you have done for BGV, and for the companies you have built with your own two hands. Keep grinding!!!

Mackenzie Meadows is a Dallas, TX native, and rising senior at American University in Washington, D.C. (AU) in their School of International Service. She is pursuing her degree in International Relations with a focus on global crisis management and regional focus on Africa. She is also the President of our American University Chapter of BGV as well as a former BGV intern. Mackenzie’s interests also led her to hold internships with crisis management firms, as well as currently serving as a strategic communications and public affairs intern with the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). Alongside her NMAAHC internship, she also serves a crisis communications intern with the Global Situation Room, Inc with two former Obama White House aides. There she continually aims to create realistic solutions for private high-profile clients across the nation and globe. Mackenzie strives to excel in everything she does and it shows! We are so proud of you, Mackenzie. And we look forward to celebrating your graduation with you at the end of this school year!! We recognize your light and uplift your work, as we pass the torch to you: the next generation.

Since the pandemic began, about 493,000 women are no longer a part of the workforce. Black Girls Vote wants to do our part in getting women back in the workplace by providing these job announcements for current listings.

• Various Positions, Institute for Women’s Policy Research
• Executive Director, Disability Rights Fund
• Social Media Director, Authentic
• Program Director, The Appellate Group
• Child Tax Credit Outreach Coordinator, Coalition on Human Needs
• Senior Manager for Child Welfare, Partnership for America’s Children
• Program Manager, Facebook Housing Initiative
• Associate Director of Partnerships, Students Learn Students Vote Coalition

Internships

• Various Internships – Chesapeake Climate Action Network
• Various Internships – End Citizens United/Let America Vote

Volunteer

• The Be. Org
• R.I.S.E. Arts Center Baltimore

 

WE ARE HIRING!!!

Black Girls Vote, Inc. (BGV)– a Baltimore-based national non-partisan, grassroots organization that focuses on activating the collective voting power and civic-engagement of Black women to advocate for issues that impact them and their families – is looking for a Communications Project Associate to join a growing in-house communications team. This role will support BGV’s Communications Associate in developing and executing communications and public-facing engagements to further advance the organization’s mission and vision. The Communications Project Associate will be responsible for managing the successful rollout of various plans, including external events, announcements and outreach for BGV activities.

The Communications Project Associate will report to the founder and CEO and work alongside the Communications Associate and BGV’s strategic communications consulting firm.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Lead and manage projects
• Coordinate events and rollout plans
• Manage emails and follow-up notes on events and activities
• Must prioritize and manage competing deadlines for multiple projects
• Must be solutions-oriented and comfortable adapting and adjusting quickly
• Create and post social media content, including rapid response
• Work with graphic design editing platforms such as Canva
• Be a strong and versatile writer (e.g. press releases, speeches, letters, etc.)

Qualifications
The following qualifications will set up the candidate for success in this role:

• Passion for advocating for transformative, sustained change that centers and impacts Black women
• Bachelor’s degree in communications/public relations/relevant degree AND/OR at least one year of relevant communications, journalism, or public relations experience
• Event planning experience
• Strong leadership abilities and self-starter
• Team player and innovator

Compensation

This position is part-time offering $20/hr.

Please provide a cover letter, writing sample and resume to be considered for this position to HR@blackgirlsvote.com.

Black Girls Vote is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages diversity in all facets of the organization’s work.

WE ARE HIRING!!!

Black Girls Vote, Inc. (BGV)– a Baltimore-based national non-partisan, grassroots organization that focuses on activating the collective voting power and civic-engagement of Black women to advocate for issues that impact them and their families – is looking for an intern to join our growing team. This role will support BGV’s Communications, Special Projects, Outreach, Advocacy, Collegiate, and Roles & Responsibilities Teams in order to further advance the organization’s mission and vision. The BGV Intern will be responsible for drafting content, managing calendars, taking notes during meetings, and supporting each BGV Team in various plans, including external events, announcements and outreach for BGV activities.

The BGV Intern will report directly to the Communications Associate and Communications Project Associate.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Support BGV Teams in managing projects
• Manage content calendars
• Must prioritize and manage competing deadlines for multiple projects
• Must be solutions-oriented and comfortable adapting and adjusting quickly
• Must be comfortable drafting potential content for social media and other external communication

Experience with graphic design editing platforms such as Canva is a plus

Qualifications
The following qualifications will set up the candidate for success in this role:

• Passion for advocating for transformative, sustained change that centers and impacts Black women
• Current college student or recent college graduate
• Strong leadership abilities and self-starter
• Team player and innovator

Compensation

This position is part-time offering $15/hr.

Please provide a cover letter, writing sample and resume to be considered for this position to HR@blackgirlsvote.com.

Black Girls Vote is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages diversity in all facets of the organization’s work.

Want to bring BGV to your campus? Click here and fill out the Google form to receive the Zoom link for this event.

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