Denver City Council Declares November 14 the Day of the Black Girl

By the time Avianna reached middle school, she had already spent years fighting racism, self-hatred and suicidal thoughts.

A twelve-year-old Afro-Latina, Avianna went through two Denver schools being bullied by her classmates, including one who called her and other Black students the N-word and hit them, she says. And her difficulties didn't end at school: In the last six months, Avianna lost both her fourteen-year-old brother and her grandfather to cancer.

"I have been through a lot in my life," Avianna told the Denver City Council on October 28. But when her mother signed her up for the African American Young Ladies Summit program, "it was life-changing," she says.

The AAYLS program began as a career day for Black women to model and mentor young Black girls, providing professional workshops, industry information and resources for post-secondary education. But since the first summit in 2017, the program has expanded into numerous events designed to provide a safe communal environment for Black girls to develop life skills and cultivate their character.

In honor of the eighth annual summit occurring today, November 14, councilmembers unanimously approved a proclamation declaring the summit "the Day of the Black Girl" every year in perpetuity.

"We are thrilled that the Denver City Council has formally recognized the vital importance of the AAYLS in the lives of our Black girls," says Dr. Plashan McCune, founder of AAYLS and executive director of Higher Learning U, the nonprofit that runs the program. "This proclamation not only honors our past achievements but also reinforces our dedication to the future of Black girls in Denver, ensuring they have a day and a space dedicated to celebrating their strength, resilience, and promise."

The proclamation was sponsored by councilwomen Shontel Lewis and Diana Romero Campbell, the former of whom is one of only three Black women ever elected to the Denver City Council.

The proclamation comes months after the council suffered its own racist incidents over the summer, including one in which two Black elementary school students were accosted with racial slurs while testifying to councilmembers about their school's need for additional classroom space.

Denver has changed its public comment rules in recent years to prioritize young speakers under the age of eighteen. Multiple youths spoke during the council meeting proclaiming the Day of the Black Girl, testifying about the impact the AAYLS program has had on their lives.

"Being a part of AAYLS has helped me to heal and has changed my life for the better," Avianna told councilmembers during the October 28 meeting. "Black girls need a safe space to come together and love on each other. AAYLS is that space."

The annual summit has been held in the Denver metro area since its inception, serving up to 500 Black girls each year, according to the proclamation.

After joining the program, Avianna has been "transformed," her mother, Veronica, told councilmembers.

"Avianna has lived through more hardship and challenges in her twelve years on earth than most adults have in a lifetime," Veronica said. "Thanks to AAYLS, Avianna's confidence, self-love, resistance, perseverance, and how she stepped into her power is unlike anything I've ever seen. Even with everything Avianna has been through, she has risen like a phoenix out of the ashes to claim her destiny and live her best life."

Councilmembers hope the summit will continue to reach girls like Avianna to "create a more just and equitable city for future generations," the proclamation reads.