Black Girl Magic Ball 2025: Empowering Black Women and Girls

Black Girl Magic Ball 2025: Empowering Black Women and Girls at Lincoln Center

Reported Thursday, May 29, 2025.

Pictured Above: Shyvonne Music Group. Photo Credit: Exilus Media Photography/Britton Renaissance Photography.

NEWSROOM POST: NEW YORK, NEW YORK

The Event Highlighted Black Women's Cultural Impact with Performances, Tributes, and a Powerful Lineup of Honorees & Benefited Urban Word NYC

New York, NY – The David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center pulsed with vibrant creativity and cultural celebration as it hosted the 8th Annual Black Girl Magic Ball, a dynamic evening honoring the brilliance, resilience, and boundless potential of Black women and girls.

Pictured Above: The setting amongst “We Be The Future.” Photo Credit: Exilus Media Photography/Britton Renaissance Photography.

Curated by activist, author, and Lincoln Center Poet-in-Residence Dr. Mahogany L. Browne, this year’s theme, “We Be The Future,” celebrated Black women as visionaries, leaders, and change agents across generations and disciplines. The event also served as a benefit for Urban Word NYC, the nationally recognized nonprofit empowering youth voices through poetry, leadership development, and critical literacy — home of the prestigious National Youth Poet Laureate Program.

Pictured Above: Author, Poet, and Founder of Black Girl Magic Ball Dr. Mahogany L. Browne. Photo Credit: Exilus Media Photography/Britton Renaissance Photography.

The 2025 Black Girl Magic Ball honored an extraordinary slate of leaders and creatives:

-Nona Hendryx – Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, and author

-Sade Lythcott – Chief Executive Officer, National Black Theatre

-Maori Holmes – Filmmaker, curator, and CEO of BlackStar Projects

-Rachel Cargle – Social justice activist, public speaker, and author

-Pascale Sablan – Architect, author, and DEI advocate

-Special Ally Honoree: Jason Reynolds – New York Times best-selling author

Pictured Above: A group photo of the evening’s honorees. Photo Credit: Exilus Media Photography/Britton Renaissance Photography.

The night was a radiant display of Black excellence and collective joy, featuring stirring performances by vocalist Shyvonne, Brooklyn’s own AbunDance Dance Company, and Kai Giovanni, New York City’s Youth Poet Laureate. Guests also engaged with immersive art activations by Good Mirrors and Le’ Grand Fleur, with music curated by DJ Pinkyy, culminating in a spirited community line dance known as “Boots on the Ground.”

Pictured Above: NYC Youth Poet Laureate Kai Giovanni. Photo Credit: Exilus Media Photography/Britton Renaissance Photography.

The event was made possible through the generous support of sponsors including Lincoln Center, Good Mirrors, Penguin Random House, Sheedy Literary Agency, Big Mouth Toothbrush by Dr. Bobbi, GoodSocial, IBest Wines, and Ten to One Rum.