Reading is Fundamental/RIF

Black Girl Brilliance Book Club
“Hey Black Girl! Has anyone told you that you are brilliant?
Brilliant!
You know, exceptionally bright, clever, talented, intelligent, smart, and intellectual.
Brilliant!”
These are the first lines of the poem Dionne Webster, the present Reading is Fundamental Committee Chairman, wrote titled, “Black Girl Brilliance,” to let black girls know we are not only magical and beautiful, we are also brilliant!
The Reading is Fundamental/RIF committee, created a Black Girl Brilliance book club in the Fall of 2018 to encourage young black girls to celebrate their brilliance. Each book club begins with the reading and discussion of the poem “Black Girl Brilliance.” The book club's first book was Hidden Figures, a book about a group of brilliant African American female mathematicians, who assisted with successfully sending rockets and men into space during the 1960s. The RIF Committee provided each girl with the book Hidden Figures, a copy the poem “Black Girl Brilliance,” and a bookmark. The committee has hosted book clubs at Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, The Urbana Neighborhood Connections Center, Bethel AME Church, and Jericho Missionary Baptist Church.
Black Girl Brilliance
Written By Dionne Webster
Hey Black Girl!
Has anyone told you that youare Brilliant?
Brilliant!
You know
Exceptionally Bright
Clever,
Talented,
Intelligent,
Smart,
Intellectual
Brilliant!
Has anyone called
You
Brilliant?
Has anyone told you
that you
can be
anything
you want to be
with God’s Guidance and Grace?
Has anyone
told You
that your Brilliance
is not defined by your race?
Has anyone told you
that your Brilliance
will take you
far beyond your wildest dreams?
People acknowledge your black girl beauty
your various shades of melanin magic
the sensational styles of your hair,
but what about
Your
Black
Girl
Brilliance?
Have people acknowledged
your Brilliance?
Your Cleverness
Your Smartness
Have they seen the beauty of
your
Brilliance?
No?
Well today is theday
that you
will unleash
Your
Black
Girl
Brilliance
for all of the world to see
and celebrate.
Hey Black Girl!
YOU
ARE
Not Just
Beautiful
YOU
ARE
BRILLIANT!

