Drawing inspiration from the childhood song “A-Tisket, A-Tasket,” the exhibition highlights the artistic and social traditions of Black girls, exploring themes of joy, resilience, self-expression and inexpression as strategic resistance. The featured works depict Black girls at the forefront of profound social changes, from the Great Migration and Civil Rights movement to the Women’s March and Black Lives Matter.
Artists in the exhibition include Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, Frank Döring, Larry Fink, Edward Franklin Fisk, Baldwin S. Lee, Ralph Eugene Meatyard, RaMell Ross, Lorna Simpson, Alexandra Soteriou, Kara Walker and Carrie Mae Weems.
As part of the symposium’s programming, a special exhibition reception will offer attendees an opportunity to engage with the artwork and explore its connections to broader conversations on Black girlhood. The symposium, marking the 30th anniversary of the Black Women’s Conference, also includes:
- Keynote talks by Black girlhood scholars Régine Jean-Charles, Kyra Gaunt and Ashleigh Greene Wade
- Creativity as theory and methods workshops
- Editorial sessions with Dawn Durante (UNC Press) and Dominique Moore (University of Illinois Press)
- A screening of “Ampe: Leap Into The Sky, Black Girl,” followed by a discussion with directors Claudia Owusu and Ifa Oluwamuyide
- Traditional hand-clapping games and giveaways
Admission is free with registration. Learn more and register at cibs.as.uky.edu/2025-bw.