For the Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium, joy isn’t an afterthought, it’s a strategy.
Since its founding in 2017 by visionaries LaTosha Brown, Felecia Lucky, Alice Eason Jenkins, and Margo Miller, the organization has been intentional about changing the narrative and funding landscape for Black girls and women across the South. At a time when less than one percent of the region’s $4.8 billion in philanthropic investments reaches Black women and girls, Southern Black Girls has committed itself to ensuring that communities often overlooked receive the resources and support they deserve. To date, the organization has awarded more than $11.4 million to over 250 organizations and provided more than $600,000 in microgrants through initiatives like the #BlackGirlJoy Challenge.
Now, that mission is hitting the road.
The organization’s 2026 Joy & Justice Tour is a nine-city, eight-state experience designed to bring healing, celebration, and resources directly into communities. More than a series of events, the tour serves as a response to the intersecting crises facing Black women and girls, from maternal health disparities to gender-based violence and economic inequities.
As founder, LaTosha Brown often says, “Joy is not a luxury. Joy is strategy.”
Each stop will feature wellness activations, community resources, educational opportunities, beauty and self-expression spaces, live entertainment, food vendors, and conversations around advocacy, health, economic empowerment, and social justice. Partnering with Dove and the CROWN Coalition, the tour also includes the interactive CROWN Experience, celebrating Black beauty and authenticity.
The Tour Schedule includes:
June 26 – New Orleans, Louisiana
June 27 – Jackson, Mississippi
July 10 – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
July 11 – Eatonville, Florida
August 8 – Louisville, Kentucky
August 21 – Richmond, Virginia
August 22 – Charleston, West Virginia
September 26 – Columbia, South Carolina
September 27 – Charlotte, North Carolina
At its core, the Joy & Justice Tour is about building community and reminding Black girls and women that they don’t have to choose between celebration and liberation. they deserve both.
Across every city, Southern Black Girls is carrying one message that resonates far beyond the stage:
