Inspired by their incredibly talented daughters and cheerleading superstars, Angel and Marci, Dr. Sharita Mathis-Lawson and Tonya Rice decided to create a stage for black athletes to have a voice within the cheerleading community and to increase participation of minorities in the sport.

Black Girls Cheer is an organized collective that seeks to show the world that black girls can cheer and also do so much more. The program aims to provide a platform that gives voice and visibility to athletes of color in all aspects of cheer, from recreation to all star and collegiate to beyond. 

FloCheer had the opportunity to ask Black Girls Cheer some questions about their goals and accomplishments.  

BGC Ambassadors at a recent photo shoot in Atlanta. Photo Credit: Black Girls Cheer

What was the inspiration behind the organization?

 Black Girls Cheer was founded in 2015 in response to an identified need within the cheer community. As awesome as it has been to see athletes like Kiara Nowlin, Angel Rice, and Marci Lawson break down walls and have these amazing wins, we knew that there were more. We knew that the legacy of what these trailblazers started would have to live on beyond their time on the mat. The visibility of black girls in cheer and the momentum that these athletes would be our driving force. Thus, Black Girls Cheer was born.

What are your goals with BGC?

Our overarching goal is to increase diversity in branding and the imagery presented to our athletes in the realm of cheerleading. Representation is vital! As the saying goes, "You cannot be what you do not see." It is important for our athletes to see others that they can identify with so that they themselves will have the confidence necessary to pursue this sport. 

We also seek to increase the participation of minorities in cheerleading. One of the ways we plan to do this is by establishing a scholarship fund to help remove the financial barriers that may limit many potential athletes. Moreover, the option to receive funding on the collegiate level is nominal at best. We further aim to reinvest in those athletes and parents that have invested so much in this sport by offering additional scholarships to those that elect to cheer at the post-secondary level.

How has BGC made an impact in the cheerleading community so far?

We have had tremendous growth in our online platforms over the last few months. To date, we have over 5,000 Facebook group members and almost 20K Instagram followers. Over the summer, we partnered with Double Good, an online fundraising company, and CLA, the Cheerleader's Alliance. Together, we sold over $300K in popcorn, putting over $150K back into the pockets of our families. Additionally, we have given over $7,000 in scholarships to athletes. We co-hosted RockIt! Camp with the CLA and were proud to have Instagram join us on-site during the camp.

Just this summer we launched our Ambassador program. We are proud to have over 30 cheerleaders from around the country and across various genres of cheerleading representing the BGC brand and other spirit industry brands as well.

What is the next step for BGC?

We are in the process of partnering with Inside Cheerleading Magazine to publish BGC Magazine. We anticipate the initial publication to be released late Winter/Spring 2018. The magazine will highlight the achievements of cheerleaders of color as well as address topics and issues that are relevant and of importance to our community. Soon we will be launching BGC Conversations Live, our online radio show, and podcast. We will discuss current trends and news within the cheer industry and the world at large.

How important is it for cheerleading to show support for every female who dreams of stepping on the mat? 

I think it is more important now than it has ever been. It is important for our industry to show support to all cheerleaders no matter what they look like, where they come from, etc. I would like for our industry to be an example to the world of what is possible -- to be a demonstration of love, diversity, inclusion, and acceptance.

Black Girls Cheer is about representation, not exclusion. We recognize the value of diversity and inclusion in the realm of cheerleading and we aim to promote those tenets through visibility that can be lacking elsewhere.

To learn more about Black Girls Cheer you can visit their website and follow BGC on Instagram @officialblackgirlscheer.