6 Secrets About #BlackGirlMagic That *Every* Teen Girl Needs To Know

And 6 other things I wish I knew as a young Black woman

- Laurise Mcmillian

If you told 14-year-old Laurise what my life would be like when I was 24, I wouldn’t have believed you. But here I am today, living in an adorable apartment in New York City with my very best friend. I’m working at my dream job. I’m dating the sweetest guy. I’m happy—with my life, with my body, with myself.

But here’s the thing: I grew up in a small community—a place where a lot of people never venture beyond the town where they attended high school. My daddy’s a mechanic, and my mom cleans houses. I’m the first person in my family to go to college—heck, I’m the first person in my family to live outside the state.

Growing up, I always dreamed of working in the glamorous media world, but it felt so unrealistic. I simply didn’t see many Black women becoming top stylists or high-level editors—and I certainly didn’t actually know any.

The closest thing I could find was my high school yearbook and newspaper. Working on those led me to my community college magazine. That experience gave me the foundation I needed to land internships at places like MTV and Elle.

Later, I finally got my foot in the door at Refinery29, a top digital media platform, as a community manager. I put in the work—and was eventually promoted to social content strategist. Now, I manage an Instagram-based platform called @r29unbothered. It’s dedicated to empowering WOC (meaning “women of color”) and creating a safe, inspiring space to celebrate our culture.

My experiences in this community have taught me how precious Black girlhood and womanhood really is. Working on @r29unbothered makes me believe in myself more—and now I’m a thousand years (and a million smiles) wiser. Ahead, six secrets about #blackgirlmagic that I think *every* teen girl needs to know…