Crystal Castle is the middle school Administrative Assistant at Abington Friends School (AFS). What everyone doesn’t know is about her involvement with Black Girls Love. Castle has been at AFS for eight years, and since 2021, she has been a mentor with the program, which was started by Suzanne Hodges, the previous Director of Admissions here at AFS. Black Girls Love was started in honor of Hodges’s mother.
Black Girls Love offers a space to young black girls that is much needed and appreciated by the community. While it is still a newyoung program, Black Girls Love and particularly Crystal Castle are positively impacting the lives of young black girls through sisterhood.
How long have you been at AFS, and when did Black Girls Love start?
I’ve been at AFS for eight years. Black Girls Love started in 2021. Sue Hodges (who used to work at AFS) had the vision, and I became one of the first mentors.
What exactly is Black Girls Love?
It’s not a club, it’s not a nonprofit, it’s a ministry. We want it to be a safe space where black girls can come, be themselves, kick their shoes off, and feel loved.
Is it Christian-based?
Both of us mentors would describe ourselves as Christians, but Black Girls Love isn’t Christian-based. It’s open to girls of any faith.
What was it like starting during COVID?
Our first meetings were in October, November, and December of 2021. Then, in early 2022, when COVID numbers rose, we had to go virtual. We were nervous, but the girls still showed up. I gave them supplies to make vision boards, and we did it together online. It actually turned out really nice.
Who can join, and how many members do you usually have?
It’s open to any Black girls in eighth grade through twelve, and it’s free to join. We started with about ten girls and usually have between twelve and fifteen. This year, our kickoff had about twenty-five girls, including 5 who aren’t from AFS.
Do you do fundraising?
Mostly everything is self-funded by the mentors; we don’t ask families for anything. Last year we sold T-shirts and popcorn, and this year we are doing that again and adding a skating fundraiser.
You said the program runs on themes each year. Can you explain?
Our first year was self-care and self-love, the next two years, the theme was joy, because after COVID, we wanted to get out and do fun things. Last year it was dreams, and this year it’s wellness. We’re covering mental, physical, and even financial wellness.
What have been some of the most memorable activities?
We went to the Colored Girls Museum in Germantown, which was really special. We’ve done floral arrangements, where the girls gave themselves flowers. We’ve made vision boards, and we always bring in speakers. And food is a big part too, at our last meeting we had barbecue chicken, mac and cheese, greens, fruit salad, and dessert. We always tell the girls to come hungry.
What do you hope the girls gain from being part of Black Girls Love?
We hope they feel unconditional love and that they’ll go on to spread that love into the world. Teenage girls aren’t spending their Saturday afternoons somewhere they don’t want to be. The fact that so many have stayed since the beginning shows we’re doing something right. We look at this as a service; it’s our way of giving back.
