If you haven’t heard of the Black Girl Picnic, it’s time to get on board. As it enters its fifth year, this beautiful celebration of Black womanhood and sisterhood returns to Belle Isle in Detroit on Saturday, August 9th, bringing more than just good vibes, food, and fellowship.
This year, the event is expanding its impact with a new initiative that is near and dear to my heart: a literacy campaign to put 1,000 culturally responsive books in the hands of Black girls around Metro Detroit.
The roots of the Black Girl Picnic go back to the summer of 2021, when founder Torie Anderson-Lloyd, a Detroit Public Schools educator and community advocate, was searching for a community connection in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. What started as a casual invite to friends for a picnic turned into something far greater.
When her friends could not attend, Anderson-Lloyd took a leap of faith and posted the event on Facebook. To her surprise, 60 complete strangers showed up for the fun. Since that day, the picnic continues to grow steadily, becoming an annual space for joy, affirmation, and collective healing and fellowship…