Having emigrated from Kenya to pursue her post-secondary education in Canada, second-year law student Angela Ouma found it challenging to secure meaningful mentorship and representation.

As the first person in her family to attend law school in Canada, she did not have the same supports as some of her classmates with connections in the legal industry. In 2019, Ouma co-founded Hey Black Girl! with her friends Tanaka Chitanda and Martina Mbadinga, students at the University of Toronto and York University respectively.

The organization hosts workshops for the encouragement and empowerment of Black womxn, focusing on creating safe spaces to engage in conversations with experts in such subjects as professional development, mental health, and financial literacy while being provided opportunities for personal growth.

“Since our launch we have been successful in holding various workshops, curating different series on our IGTV and launching a blog that features Black female writers every week,” says Ouma. “This work is especially important in confronting anti-Black racism because statistics show that Black women with university degrees are more likely to be unemployed or underemployed in comparison to our white counterparts.”

This month, Hey Black Girl! is hosting an online series that showcases Black womxn in the creative industry, while simultaneously launching an art contest for Black LGBTQ+ creatives. The team is also in the final stages of organizing a financial planning and literacy workshop for the end of August.

As for her future, Ouma sees herself building a legal career in Canada while simultaneously expanding Hey Black Girl!’s online presence.

“My hope is that the initiatives we are creating here can benefit people back home in Kenya and beyond,” she says.

Find more information about Hey Black Girl! on Instagram @heyblackgirlto and its website, www.hey-black-girl.com.

—Rachelle Prince