Lift Me Up: Centering the Voices of Black Girls in Joy and Liberation Through Dance and Spoken Word

• In Event: I Said What I Said: Celebrating Black Women’s Voices Through the Genius of Black Girlhood

Abstract

This presentation focuses on the art of storytelling in the form of dance and spoken word as a way of cultivating Black girl joy and liberation. By providing a safe space for Black girls to voice their experiences, the presenter addresses the dismantling of harmful stereotypes and cultivates a sense of pride in their identities through dance. The presenter’s pedagogical approach focuses on fostering a sense of community through coaching that encourages a sense of agency and ownership over one’s narrative. Highlighting dance as a method of diplomacy, the paper discusses the impact of using movement rooted in the African diaspora to address broader societal issues, such as body positivity, colorism, and intersectional feminism. Using Hip Hop pedagogy as a framework to examine the systemic inequities impacting the voices of Black girls, the paper showcases the results of using techniques in journaling, dialogue, and movement experimentation to foster educational environments that are inclusive, transformative, and celebratory of Black girls and their genius.

Author

• Aysha Upchurch, University of Texas at Austin