Black Girl Magic Day Founder Tanika Salmon Is Here for All Girls and We’re Here For It

Tanika Salmon, Founder of Harlem’s Black Girl Magic Day (BGMD) and its nationwide virtual BGMD Club, wants no girl left out or behind from making her magic and mark- and her mission is getting a little help from the stars.

“We’re here for everyone, regardless of color. We aren’t going back to what’s been done. All girls are welcome.”

A Girl Left Out, Not Behind

Growing up in Canada, Harlem resident Tanika Salmon was often the only girl of color in her classes and neighborhoods. Neither fairy tales with princesses nor dolls in stores showed her reflections of herself. The effect was profound.

“I had friends and love and everything, but it was still hard to be so young without anyone who looked like me around,” she says. “I always thought ‘I don’t want any other girl to feel like that.'”

What didn’t kill her made her stronger. When she chose tech as a career, she plunged deeper into the minority abyss. She had to sink or swim in the tech industry, with its known abysmal low number of women from any color or ethnicity included in top programs and jobs.

While she learned to troubleshoot and code as part of the Gen X who birthed tech’s ubiquity today, Tanika was marching towards her destiny. Her priceless skills were soon to hone and coalesce for Gen Z youth who only know technology as essential to daily life. Yet for all their access to communities and information online, girls often come away from virtual reality with their confidence crushed. Salmon knew social media and screen addictions compromised all girls from feeling beautiful and special in their own rights.

She worked hard to earn her place in tech, gained lucrative work and settled in New York City. She was the Activity Specialist for the Harlem Commonwealth Council, to support youth programs and teach creative skills. She was an American Girl Place Associate, working with the girl-centered brand on storytelling initiatives to build confidence and identity. However, her odd-girl out inner child kept calling on her to act.

She got the idea for a “Black Girl Magic” Day, after our generation’s answer to the “Black is Beautiful” mantra of generations prior. She wanted any girl who arrived to feel like a princess and star if only for a day. And though it is named after the viral “Black Girl Magic” hashtag, it is not only for Black girls.

“We have a variety of girls included,” Salmon says. “If a Black girl has friends who want to come or join, they do. We’re here for everyone, regardless of color. We aren’t going back to what’s been done. All girls are welcome.”

This June, the free event drew all the girls it could from kindergarten to high school to Harlem. They come for the chance for their parents to snap them on its “Pink Carpet,” the pop-up beauty parlor and swag bags packed with valuable products just like at celebrity awards events. The exuberance was palpable, the excitement heartwarming, the community and family pride immeasurable.

Using Technology for Better or Worse

This day repeat attendees and families look forward to almost didn’t happen because… well, Covid.

Salmon could only later start the Black Girl Magic Club virtually to continue the day’s positive effects and friendships year-round. As she laughs about now, by the time she first launched the organization and website in January 2020, New York City was locked down a few months later. She had gone too far with initial donor promises, volunteer recruitment and a fundraising start to turn back.

“Covid wasn’t really the time to be starting anything new, but I had to keep going,” she recalls.

That tenacity meant that she and everyone else wore masks at the initial celebrations and events- but people came, to Salmon’s surprise. So did companies who believe in the mission.

As a Founder & Director, Salmon’s genuine passion is infectious. Huge hair care companies like Luster’s PINK Hair Products and Miss Jessie’s have sponsored swag bags. 105.1 New York Radio sponsored entertainment and more. Citizens New York helps Salmon fill monthly club subscription boxes with everything from art supplies to motivational paper products to snacks. Team Unity provides much ongoing support and sponsorship.

What Exactly is Black Girl Magic Day Club?

Her background and training in Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design gave her the expertise to move past the day. The Black Girl Magic Club platform is a members only outlet for classes, meetings and tutorials all led by volunteers. Girls are divided into 3 groups: ages 6-8, 9-11, and 12-15 for age-appropriate activities, art lessons and more.

While Citizens United and Team Unity provide much support in supplies and more, Salmon’s own money funds the club’s online platform to keep it hosted and maintained. This summer, the pilot program launched with patient parents and participants Salmon says were instrumental to help make the program better.

“We had a lot of bugs to work out, issues with the platform, workflow we are still trying to figure out,” she says. “But all the participants were wonderful and grateful for the opportunity, so they’ve paved the way for later members.”

The program will launch officially this Fall with many kinks worked out, more boxes funded and more activities led by more volunteers Salmon tirelessly recruits almost singlehandedly. The goal is to run sessions year-round, expand to more cities and see “Black Girl Magic Day” become a national celebration.

Yep, Salmon vigorously promotes her petition to have the day recognized nationally. She feels it is important to reflect on and celebrate a marginalized group contributing to society before they grow up to feel left out as she once did. You can view and sign her petition HERE.

“Making Black girls visible empowers all girls who love them,” summarizes Salmon.

As many Black girls in entertainment and sports have followings far past their own ethnic group, Salmon believes that mass efforts to celebrate them will help future generations move past divisions based on color and combine forces based on shared interests instead.

The BGMD Club models Salmon’s mature adult interventionist approach to use technology with youth, but it also mitigates technology for them- to first bait girls with screens that draw them anyway, next tap their potential beyond it and finally send them on their off-screen ways better off.

“We’re only online because that’s how to reach girls beyond Harlem and the day,” Salmon clarifies. “We want them off screens. That is what the club and boxes and activities are for.”

The boxes she refers to come with club membership open to girls ages 6-15 nationwide. When girls join the BGMD Club, which is totally free by the way, they can look forward to a monthly box delivered straight to their doors. The boxes contain activity materials, art supplies and snacks to feed their busy brains. All this is donated. There are also Business Kits, Hairstyling Kits, Podcast Kits and STEM Kits in play pending availability and funding–which you can help with HERE.

A Little Help From the Stars

The word has spread far for Black Girl Magic Day and its club. Salmon was delighted to when STAR Magazine answered her call to kickoff major press for the “Pink Carpet” event. The longtime popular supermarket came to photograph it for its “STAR Shots” in 2023 and beyond. The outlet is committed to the mission to help Black girls feel seen and celebrated.

And, Salmon is especially excited to announce the very first BGMD and Club ambassador: rising hip-hop artist, model and influencer Heiress “Diana” Harris. She is the 10-year-old daughter of Atlanta-based hip-hop and R & B legends T.I. (Clifford Harris, Jr.) and Tameka “Tiny” Harris of Xscape. The longtime superstar couple have 30 years of entertainment and business experience, to certify Salmon’s efforts as legitimate and necessary to the wider public beyond Harlem and concerned citizens.

Heiress has recently begun recording, touring and building a massive online following with kid-friendly rap and online channels her parents and their staff direct for her.

“We were so excited she wanted to come be a face of the organization for us,” announced Salmon. “We are looking so forward to welcoming her and introducing her to some girls soon. They really love her.”

Heiress will descend on New York City this Fall in special programming Salmon has in store.

Get Involved with Black Girl Magic Day and Support Its BGMD Club

All workers for BGMD are volunteer and Salmon continues to fund the club website with her own money. You can support her mission to bring girls of all colors and backgrounds to Harlem or online for fun, self-confidence and positive activities.

Please follow Black Girl Magic Day and Salmon online, inquire to volunteer or teach classes, explore Leadership Roles and donate to the massive financial effort to keep the site running and deliver exciting packages to the girls by texting ‘MAGIC’ to 844-460-9022 for Text-to-Give.