

This year’s summit, is inspired by the reality that Black women and girls* are online and claiming virtual space for themselves! From Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and every “app” we are using AND creating, we are continuing to push and explore deeper themes of safety, expression, sexuality, love, and identity. The summit is an opportunity for young women and girls to engage in dialogue and interactive workshops that will allow them to ask questions, engage viewpoints, and deepen their insight.

As Black women and girls create history, leaving a legacy of virtual archives, narratives, images, stories, and artifacts, how are we building community with one another and what have we learned along the way? These are some of the questions we’ll be discussing and attempting to find answers to among one another. We are also interested in conversations about online safety, from bullying, identity theft, and accessibility; how do Black women and girls decide what information online is valuable and factual; how has language and communication evolved for Black women and girls; who is still excluded or isolated and how can we make changes to include more fully those members of our communities?



This year we welcome parents and caregivers of the young women and girls to be present. There will be a parent track of workshops and tools to support and help facilitate conversations around online safety, new cyber laws, sex/uality, values, and popular culture by those people who work with youth on a regular basis, and even by youth workers themselves!



We believe at BGP that it is always important to provide a space for a variety of perspectives to engage, grow, and that through the collective sharing of knowledge, telling of our stories, and standing in solidarity with one another that we are able to enrich, broaden, and transform ourselves and our communities.



We are seeking submissions for Digital Daughters: Black Girls Bridging the Divide around the following core pathways:



media making 101

introduction to using platforms and frameworks

sex and representation in media, film, literature, and/or history

consent online and offline

laws regarding virtual spaces

power and the virtual community

creating a virtual voice

online activism

healing from trauma, heartbreak, online

human rights

anonymity, usernames, and pseudonyms

language online

sexting

anti-bullying and building networks of solidarity

online and virtual representations of sex/uality

citations and attribution of online ideas/images/voices

accountability and responsibility online

innovation online

sexual orientation and queerness online

accessibility

people with disabilities and virtual spaces/access

copyright, creative commons, and ownership



Additionally, this year, we will have a section of the summit dedicated solely to parents and other adult caretakers.



Questions to consider when preparing your submission:



-What does it mean for us to have an online presence?

-What are forms of healing from trauma?

-How do we build solidarity virtually/online with communities that are oppressed?

-What are essential things to know about being online?

-What does intimacy look and feel like online?

-Are there forms of pleasure that may be experienced online?

-What safety and security themes are important to know and be clear on while online?

-What are ways we can build virtual and 3D spaces of support?

-How do we create media representations that are realistic and represent our experiences?

-What are ways we can learn to deconstruct the messages we are sent regarding our gender, race, class, and location online?



These submissions can be in the form of presentations, performances, screenings, workshops, panel discussions, and/or interactive installations to name a few.



Submissions should include a 250 word abstract, a resume, accompanying portfolio (if applicable), and a letter of support from a mentor if you are 18 or younger. Application materials should be submitted to this link by July, 6 2013. We encourage applicants abroad to apply as at this year’s conference, we would like to provide an intercultural videoconferencing exchange.