Celebrate, Empower, Read: The Black Girl Picnic Launches Bold Literacy Campaign for 2025
As it enters its fifth year, this beautiful celebration of Black womanhood and sisterhood returns to Belle Isle in Detroit on Saturday, August 9th, bringing more than just good vibes, food, and fellowship.
If you haven't heard of the Black Girl Picnic, it's time to get on board. As it enters its fifth year, this beautiful celebration of Black womanhood and sisterhood returns to Belle Isle in Detroit on Saturday, August 9th, bringing more than just good vibes, food, and fellowship.
Black Girl Picnic 2025
This year, the event is expanding its impact with a new initiative that is near and dear to my heart: a literacy campaign to put 1,000 culturally responsive books in the hands of Black girls around Metro Detroit.
The roots of the Black Girl Picnic go back to the summer of 2021, when founder Torie Anderson-Lloyd, a Detroit Public Schools educator and community advocate, was searching for a community connection in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. What started as a casual invite to friends for a picnic turned into something far greater.
Picnic by the lake. Basket with berries, bread with ik. Nobody.
When her friends could not attend, Anderson-Lloyd took a leap of faith and posted the event on Facebook. To her surprise, 60 complete strangers showed up for the fun. Since that day, the picnic continues to grow steadily, becoming an annual space for joy, affirmation, and collective healing and fellowship.
Why You Need to Know About Detroit’s Black Girl Picnic and Its 1,000 Books for Black Girls Campaign
Organized by the nonprofit BLK GRL Conglomerate, this year's picnic continues its commitment to uplifting Black girls and women. However, not only through celebration but also this year, through literacy, as well. The "1,000 Books For Black Girls" campaign aims to provide books where Black girls are the heroes, the leaders, and the visionaries. So far, thanks to generous support and donations from The Skillman Foundation, First Book, General Motors, and Making Spirits Bright, over 600 books have already been secured.
The 2025 event will take place at 99 Pleasure Drive on Belle Isle from 2:30 PM to 6:30 PM, and tickets are required for entry. With music curated by DJ Stacye J, panel discussions with special guests, and free testing at the Wellness Zone, there is so much to experience. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit Black Girl Picnic's website. To help reach the 1,000-book goal, supporters can donate through the Amazon Wish List or use the donation link provided on the website.
Whether you show up in person or show support from afar, the Black Girl Picnic is a movement worth backing!
