The Black Girl Tribe, a nonprofit group based in Washington, D.C., has announced it was awarded a $100,000 grant from Nike’s Black Community Commitment Portfolio to fund programming benefiting Black girls.
“By having this grant, we are eliminating that burden. We're bringing Black coaches, Black athletes, to come in and actually talk to the girls about joining those sports, what it takes, the history of those sports so that it's not just, we’re throwing them out there to the wolves,” founder Gabrielle Martinez told WUSA 9. “We’re actually trying to give them everything they need to compete. and be athletes of the same level that other people are other demographics.”
The award will also support the nonprofit's expansion of athletic initiatives with the launch of Black Girls Just Do It. In an Instagram post last week, The Black Girl Tribe wrote that sports are healthy for the development and character building of young people.
“Through sports we learn to be competitive, but always play fair. To be inclusive, collaborative and respectful. We learn to be passionate about our own potential, and when we’re working together there’s no telling what we can do,” the organization wrote.
The organization elaborated in the post, saying the Black Girls Just Do It initiative “will be dedicated to providing opportunities for Black Girls to explore the wide world of sports, enhancing their life skills and sisterhood. With pop-up events planned for Summer 2021 (with COVID restrictions), Black Girls ages 6-18 will be invited to explore a plethora of activities including yoga, mixed martial arts, soccer, and golf to name a few.”
Martinez, who grew up in the D.C. area, expressed that it was important to her to boldly support young Black girls. Now, The Black Girl Tribe encourages the participants to develop their own sense of individuality and to love themselves.
“There was nobody being unapologetic about their service to a Black girl. So, that’s what we wanted to do; we wanted to be the change we want to see in the world,” Martinez said.
Teenager Lucia Brisbane first joined The Black Girl Tribe four years ago and shared with WUSA 9 that it has been a transformative experience. Since she joined, the 15-year-old said she has grown her leadership ability, found a safe space to express herself and discovered a tribe full of new friends.
“Because it's a family. It's a sisterhood," Brisbane said. “If you're looking for sisterhood bond, if you need friends, a safe space to open up about things at home, or social issues, racial issues, if you feel the need to speak about injustice, you can always contact Miss Gabby.”
In its work, the organization prioritizes the value of self-love and supporting each of the young girls on their respective journeys in life.
“We understand that being a Black girl is not monolithic, so therefore the way we serve Black girls also cannot be monolithic," Martinez said.
According to Black Enterprise, Martinez revealed that she was motivated to start the nonprofit after being told that programs focused solely on Black girls have “insufficient and immeasurable outcomes.”
“Tribe is my response to that. Black Girls are anything but insufficient, and the only thing immeasurable about us is our potential,” Martinez said on The Black Girl Tribe’s website.
The Black Girl Tribe shared that all activities and programs sponsored by them will be free of charge, but will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
