<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[The Lighthouse | Black Girl Projects]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Lighthouse | Black Girl Projects’ mission is to be a revelatory, unflickering light for Black girls and young women in the southeastern U.S.]]></description><link>https://www.loveblackgirls.org/bgx</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Wed, 04 Mar 2026 19:17:17 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.loveblackgirls.org/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Photos: Fat Tuesday in New Orleans shows Black masking Indians in all their Mardi Gras glory]]></title><description><![CDATA[On Fat Tuesday, the Mardi Gras Indians are hard to miss, with their bright and colorfu]]></description><link>https://www.loveblackgirls.org/post/photos-fat-tuesday-in-new-orleans-shows-black-masking-indians-in-all-their-mardi-gras-glory</link><guid isPermaLink="false">699f24fbdcfe76b0f2d2bd8d</guid><category><![CDATA[Black Aesthetic]]></category><category><![CDATA[Family, Relationships and Sex]]></category><category><![CDATA[Beauty]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 25 Feb 2026 16:40:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9557f2_bb97a307e1884f8c9d414c07b90eb366~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Staff</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why some Black southern women keep their maiden names after marriage ]]></title><description><![CDATA[“As a wedding gift, I got a picture frame from my mother-in-law that said ‘Mr. and Mrs. Courtney’,” Erica Williams recalls, shrugging it off.  

 

She had not changed her name. 

 

When Erica Williams, a cultural anthropologist and author from North Carolina, got married at age 34, she chose to keep her name. However, she did suggest an alternative to her husband. ]]></description><link>https://www.loveblackgirls.org/post/why-some-black-southern-women-keep-their-maiden-names-after-marriage</link><guid isPermaLink="false">699f1d1ddcfe76b0f2d2ad0d</guid><category><![CDATA[Family, Relationships and Sex]]></category><category><![CDATA[Relationships]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 25 Feb 2026 16:16:53 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/fcce72_9b3c169574ff4ffb944cc285ec9615b2~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nwosu Precious</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[When queens go to war ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Once, a rival queen from the other tribe became aggressive, as they both danced through the street. Her taunts took a more biting tone. The young women quickly moved away from playful sparring. The teasing escalated. It started with cursing each other out and devolved into shoving, headed toward a full-on brawl.]]></description><link>https://www.loveblackgirls.org/post/when-queens-go-to-war</link><guid isPermaLink="false">699f0a25dcfe76b0f2d285c1</guid><category><![CDATA[Black Aesthetic]]></category><category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category><category><![CDATA[Family, Relationships and Sex]]></category><category><![CDATA[Beauty]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 25 Feb 2026 15:05:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/fcce72_23f64eea617040bc9d88cad256f437b4~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_354,h_360,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Keturah Kendrick</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why claims about ICE officers being untouchable under the law are legally wrong and politically dangerous ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Vice President J.D. Vance and a growing chorus of supporters have claimed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers operate under “absolute immunity,” framing federal agents as legally untouchable and beyond accountability. The claim has been repeated enough to sound authoritative, but according to constitutional law, it is simply false. ]]></description><link>https://www.loveblackgirls.org/post/why-claims-about-ice-officers-being-untouchable-under-the-law-are-legally-wrong-and-politically-dang</link><guid isPermaLink="false">699f012ebf1bf6f6a2a6e5c6</guid><category><![CDATA[Harm and Violence]]></category><category><![CDATA[Criminal and Juvenile Justice]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 25 Feb 2026 14:25:34 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/fcce72_d566c80c2f2d4957ba3fa1f06a327e99~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Christy Perez</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Ph.D. in being me]]></title><description><![CDATA[I told a male house guest, a friend of my now ex-husband, that I was a feminist. The white, self-identified "freedom fighter" asked a question that startled me.]]></description><link>https://www.loveblackgirls.org/post/a-ph-d-in-being-me</link><guid isPermaLink="false">699ef92ecc8956d3eb46668c</guid><category><![CDATA[Family, Relationships and Sex]]></category><category><![CDATA[Work and Labor]]></category><category><![CDATA[Relationships]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 25 Feb 2026 14:00:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/fcce72_9f3d42fe4261413b9307ad9ba69491ba~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shanina Carmichael</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Medu Bookstore to close as owner and Black culture keeper Nia Damali retires]]></title><description><![CDATA[For well over 30 years, poet and cultural entrepreneur Nia Damali has been a stalwart champion of Black authors and their books. As the owner and founder of Medu Bookstore, Mama Nia, as she is affectionately known in the Atlanta literary community, has been connecting readers to books and helping young, budding writers launch their careers, a task that she takes extremely seriously.  ]]></description><link>https://www.loveblackgirls.org/post/medu-bookstore-to-close-as-owner-and-black-culture-keeper-nia-damali-retires</link><guid isPermaLink="false">699ee93fcc8956d3eb464453</guid><category><![CDATA[Black Aesthetic]]></category><category><![CDATA[History]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 25 Feb 2026 13:04:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/fcce72_a64fd2eeaa224fb893a90d1f89f51d20~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_241,h_345,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Charlie Braxton</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Lighthouse | Black Girl Projects accepts applicants for paid journalism fellowship  ]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Alice Dunbar Nelson Senior Fellowship applications are open! This fellowship is a space to think deeply, write boldly and connect lived experience with real impact and get paid to boot. ]]></description><link>https://www.loveblackgirls.org/post/the-lighthouse-black-girl-projects-accepts-applicants-for-paid-journalism-fellowship</link><guid isPermaLink="false">698b50ee3faa9e439beeab6f</guid><category><![CDATA[The Feature Story]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 10 Feb 2026 16:13:55 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="http://video.wixstatic.com/video/fcce72_985107988385435297d3a6e2d3318b9f/480p/mp4/file.mp4" length="0" type="video"/><dc:creator>The Lighthouse</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The power behind the Mardi Gras mask]]></title><description><![CDATA[In New Orleans, a young woman in trouble might skip over the first lady of the church or even bypass her own mother to seek help from this revered community figure. ]]></description><link>https://www.loveblackgirls.org/post/the-power-behind-the-mardi-gras-mask</link><guid isPermaLink="false">698b459a24cea83b024aa88e</guid><category><![CDATA[Black Aesthetic]]></category><category><![CDATA[Holidays]]></category><category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 10 Feb 2026 15:35:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/fcce72_cfaf3bc81b494ead9fdd98205b7ca991~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_482,h_560,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Keturah Kendrick</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[New Orleans: America’s most African city  ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Up until the time I was in my late teens, I’d naturally assumed that every Black city had a contingent of masking tribes that came out on Super Sunday, Mardi Gras Day and Saint Joseph’s Night to parade around in elaborate, exquisitely beaded and feathered full body regalia while chanting in the streets crowded with the entire Black community who danced along with them and marveled at the works of art covering their bodies. ]]></description><link>https://www.loveblackgirls.org/post/new-orleans-america-s-most-african-city</link><guid isPermaLink="false">698b343941590511a3465bf0</guid><category><![CDATA[Black Aesthetic]]></category><category><![CDATA[Holidays]]></category><category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category><category><![CDATA[History]]></category><category><![CDATA[Beauty]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 10 Feb 2026 14:32:07 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/fcce72_7b2be19b353347f387d9e312c5ac5206~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Keturah Kendrick</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Federal Trade Commission try to hide collusion driving Black grocers out of business: report]]></title><description><![CDATA[What could make Snoop Dogg bite at the orange hand that feeds him? ]]></description><link>https://www.loveblackgirls.org/post/federal-trade-commission-try-to-hide-collusion-driving-black-grocers-out-of-business-report</link><guid isPermaLink="false">698a7f025ce248ef44849a2e</guid><category><![CDATA[Dollars and Sense]]></category><category><![CDATA[Policy and Politicians]]></category><category><![CDATA[Celebrities]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 10 Feb 2026 01:11:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/fcce72_98fc3511ee644a2ea347f90e29f18264~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Staff</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Memphis versus Minneapolis: policing and community terror]]></title><description><![CDATA[If “this isn’t my fight” means refusing to pay attention or be informed, that’s dangerous. But if it means recognizing where your role is and is not, that’s different. ]]></description><link>https://www.loveblackgirls.org/post/memphis-versus-minneapolis-policing-and-community-terror</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6983d29f9b806d1e1103a0c0</guid><category><![CDATA[Harm and Violence]]></category><category><![CDATA[Criminal and Juvenile Justice]]></category><category><![CDATA[Policy and Politicians]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:19:29 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/fcce72_53af45632db64541885609d25f22b58c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_827,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Natalie A. Collier</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The president slamming Minnesota fraud has a growing list of rich pardoned fraudsters ]]></title><description><![CDATA[President Donald Trump recently railed against his own American residents and citizens of fraud — particularly the one’s with roots in the nation of Somalia. But while trying to rail a whole community for its alleged criminality, Trump is apparently happy to pardon an army of wealthy people accused of financial crimes. How many have roots in Somalia? ]]></description><link>https://www.loveblackgirls.org/post/the-president-slamming-minnesota-fraud-has-a-growing-list-of-rich-pardoned-fraudsters</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6983c4a69b806d1e1103849d</guid><category><![CDATA[Dollars and Sense]]></category><category><![CDATA[Criminal and Juvenile Justice]]></category><category><![CDATA[Policy and Politicians]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 04 Feb 2026 22:52:49 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/fcce72_7246b758b5494eeab87c54b1423c154a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Staff</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Remembering Claudette Colvin: pre-bus-boycott arrestee and victim of respectability politics  ]]></title><description><![CDATA[The term “respectability politics” wasn’t a part of the public dialogue during the Civil Rights Movement, but its principles were fully on display, and Claudette Colvin was likely one of its early victims. Before Rosa Parks, there were young people like Claudette Colvin. ]]></description><link>https://www.loveblackgirls.org/post/remembering-claudette-colvin-pre-bus-boycott-arrestee-and-victim-of-respectability-politics</link><guid isPermaLink="false">696a599a482610fa2890ce02</guid><category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category><category><![CDATA[History]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 16 Jan 2026 15:42:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/fcce72_742bd585e90c4260a64f8db50125ee47~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ashleigh Braggs</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Lighthouse continues winter free food distribution after holiday success ]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Lighthouse | Black Girl Projects food justice program plans on additional rounds of food distribution to support Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients in the Jackson area after two successful rounds shortly before Christmas.]]></description><link>https://www.loveblackgirls.org/post/the-lighthouse-continues-winter-free-food-distribution-after-holiday-success</link><guid isPermaLink="false">696974fc482610fa288e9343</guid><category><![CDATA[Food Justice]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 16 Jan 2026 13:17:35 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/fcce72_c137da90550a4073abcc4bd21f0a1992~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>The Lighthouse</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[5 key lessons from our Reddit AMA: driving change, prison reform and mass incarceration  ]]></title><description><![CDATA[If we’re serious about public safety, we have to stop pretending cages fix social problems. Human-centered approaches do a far better job of reducing harm than punishment ever has. What actually lowers recidivism is… ]]></description><link>https://www.loveblackgirls.org/post/5-key-lessons-from-our-reddit-ama-driving-change-prison-reform-and-mass-incarceration</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69695fae286ae18832d39c66</guid><category><![CDATA[Criminal and Juvenile Justice]]></category><category><![CDATA[Policy and Politicians]]></category><category><![CDATA[Education and Life University]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 15 Jan 2026 22:19:25 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/fcce72_c9f76c930e584c46945eb281b6f378e0~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Christy Perez</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[New year, new laws, new impact   ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Although in Mississippi, a new legislative session started on January 6, and only a few new laws take effect in January; most new laws come forth in July. We’ve curated a list of new laws enacted in Mississippi and other states that potentially impact Black women and girls.  ]]></description><link>https://www.loveblackgirls.org/post/new-year-new-laws-new-impact</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69695b9b022bfc82f76442c6</guid><category><![CDATA[Local News]]></category><category><![CDATA[Policy and Politicians]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 15 Jan 2026 21:43:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/fcce72_7c360d2708f04cd08bf394e5281053f4~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Staff</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Nurse-midwife’s death shows all are at risk when birthing while Black ]]></title><description><![CDATA[One of our most frequently covered topics in 2025 was Black maternal health. Once again, this crisis has returned to our focus, this time because of the January 2 death of Dr. Janell Green Smith, a South Carolina-based doctor of nursing practice and certified nurse-midwife.  ]]></description><link>https://www.loveblackgirls.org/post/nurse-midwife-s-death-shows-all-are-at-risk-when-birthing-while-black</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6969536c482610fa288e3e07</guid><category><![CDATA[Reproductive (In)Justice]]></category><category><![CDATA[Family, Relationships and Sex]]></category><category><![CDATA[Harm and Violence]]></category><category><![CDATA[Healthcare and Wellness]]></category><category><![CDATA[Our Bodies]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 15 Jan 2026 21:12:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/fcce72_653d9c6a5a5e410ba5e97e64c6b5dd09~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_1000,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>URL Media</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Lighthouse’s RBG Program Prepares to Launch a New Giving Circle Partnership ]]></title><description><![CDATA[As these young Black women reclaim philanthropy, cooperative economics in Mississippi, their work offers a glimpse of ...]]></description><link>https://www.loveblackgirls.org/post/the-lighthouse-s-rbg-program-prepares-to-launch-a-new-giving-circle-partnership</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6938697a0b27bc7cafc71122</guid><category><![CDATA[Education and Life University]]></category><category><![CDATA[Dollars and Sense]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 09 Dec 2025 18:35:53 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/fcce72_76e89d6d379741f5a1607c3c9c91b6d3~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_968,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Christy Perez</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[When Banks Say No: Could Nigerian Cash-Savings Circles Take Hold in Black America?  ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Why haven't these savings circles become common among Black folks in the U.S. It's certainly not due to lack of need. Do we lack mutual trust or social ties? Our contributor declares: The question isn’t why these models aren’t more common. ]]></description><link>https://www.loveblackgirls.org/post/when-banks-say-no-could-nigerian-cash-savings-circles-take-hold-in-black-america</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69382721f99ccc1a7aa71b97</guid><category><![CDATA[Dollars and Sense]]></category><category><![CDATA[Family, Relationships and Sex]]></category><category><![CDATA[Welfare]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 09 Dec 2025 14:16:34 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/fcce72_3f75daae038448b0af6f4035d46d0da7~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nwosu Precious</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Black Communities Consider a Return to Co-ops to Build Lasting, Independent Economic Power ]]></title><description><![CDATA[The co-op structure has so many characteristics significantly different from capitalism (which is the most common economic system), many people oppose it and don’t see the benefits.  While a cooperative economy appears to be unfamiliar and unappealing, experts proclaim today half of the world is still connected to co-ops for their livelihood. ]]></description><link>https://www.loveblackgirls.org/post/black-communities-consider-a-return-to-co-ops-to-build-lasting-independent-economic-power</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69381e659086d1c9fad4d5a6</guid><category><![CDATA[Dollars and Sense]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 09 Dec 2025 13:34:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/fcce72_acdd836c25c043abad497671280d125d~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nikea Banks</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>