“I was here. I’ve lived. I’ve loved. I was here. I did. I’ve done.” Beyoncé could not have sung it better. We are here, and in only 23 & 24 years we have lived and done more than we could have ever imagined. As little girls, our mothers always told us to dream big, and dream big we did. We dreamed of distant lands, winning Nobel Peace Prizes, riding horses, discovering forgotten islands, swimming with dolphins and sharks (not together), being the first Black female Supreme Court justices, the next NASA Astronauts and of course President and Vice President of the United States of America. Needless to say, neither of us have had the “typical” black girl upbringing (whatever that is) and looking back, we would not want it either.

Our journey started when we were 6 years old, and although we have gone to different schools, moved in different social circles, and lived on completely opposite sides of the country and world, we have remained great friends. Our bond was completely transformed to the upper echelons of sisterhood on a trip to the Dominican Republic in the summer of 2012, where we experienced life like there was no tomorrow (Traveling pants ain’t got nothing on us!).

After that fateful trip, we knew that our lives would never be the same, and that the women we are today have been shaped by the experiences we’ve had throughout our lives. We decided that our crazy, amazing, daring, bold, and often times hilarious journeys needed to be shared to spur other Black women to step outside of their comfort zones and take the road less traveled.

Every Black girl deserves the chance to leave her mark on this world. So since sometimes we need a little encouragement, (InsertVerbHere): Black Girls Do It Too is just that; the journey of two Black women, living their lives, finding adventure, inspiring other Black women, and of course, leaving their mark on this world.

Youtube video: Beyonce-I was here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i41qWJ6QjPI (we do not own the copyright to this video)

©2012 by Alexandria Dotson and Ayana Martin