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A Call to Heal. A Call to Hope. A Call to LIVE.
May 15, 2026 | UO Portland Campus – Library and Learning Center
Black Girl LIVE! is a community event in Portland dedicated to supporting and uplifting Black girls through connection, healing, and empowerment. Taking place on May 15, 2026, at the University of Oregon Portland campus, the event brings together families, educators, and community leaders from across the Portland area.
When our girls are hurting, we gather.
When the weight of their world gets heavy, we carry it together.
When the world outside tells them to shrink, we remind them of their power.
When our girls are hurting, we gather. When silence threatens their future, we speak up. When they feel invisible, we show them they matter. Black Girl LIVE! is not just an event. It’s a lifeline.
is back.
After the power, connection, and impact of last year’s gathering, Black Girl LIVE! returns as both a celebration and a call to action. It continues to honor the brilliance, strength, and resilience of Black girls and young women while creating space to respond to the very real challenges affecting their well-being.
After the power, connection, and impact of last year’s gathering, Black Girl LIVE! returns as both a celebration and a call to action. It continues to honor the brilliance, strength, and resilience of Black girls and young women while creating space to respond to the very real challenges affecting their well-being.
This is not just an event.
It’s a place of belonging.
A place of healing.
A place where Black girls are reminded that they are seen.
Valued.
And deeply loved.
Black Girl LIVE! exists because too many Black girls and young women are carrying pain in silence.
Black Girl LIVE! exists because too many Black girls and young women are carrying pain in silence.
According to Oregon Health Authority, Black 11th graders in the state report concerning rates of sadness, hopelessness, suicide ideation, bullying, and feeling unsafe in school.
According to Oregon Health Authority, Black 11th graders in the state report concerning rates of sadness, hopelessness, suicide ideation, bullying, and feeling unsafe in school. These realities are serious. But they don’t tell the whole story.
These realities are serious. But they don’t tell the whole story.
Our girls are not defined by what they are up against. They are full of beauty, promise, wisdom, and power.
SUICIDE IS STEALING
OUR DAUGHTERS,
OUR SISTERS,
OUR FUTURE.
Black young women and girls are facing a silent crisis, one that too often goes unspoken in classrooms, churches, and even homes. According to Oregon Health Authority youth health data, Black 11th graders in Oregon report concerning rates of sadness, hopelessness, suicide ideation, bullying, and feeling unsafe at school.
Black Girl LIVE! is a community response rooted in that truth a gathering created to surround our girls with care, connection, and hope while reminding them that their lives matter.
Black Girl LIVE! is born
from a deep need
to interrupt that silence
with love, healing, and
radical community care.
This is more than a conference.
Black Girl LIVE! is born
from a deep need
to interrupt that silence
with love, healing, and
radical community care.
It’s a living, breathing experience
of truth-telling and transformation,
where Black girls and women
come together to be seen,
to be heard,
and to begin again.
It’s a living, breathing expression of love and collective responsibility, where Black girls and women come together to tell truths, share resources, restore hope, and help one another imagine a future bigger than pain.
We gather to break isolation. We gather to affirm identity. We gather to make sure no girl feels like she has to carry everything alone.
We gather to break isolation.
We gather to affirm identity.
We gather to make sure no girl feels like
she has to carry everything alone.
At Black Girl LIVE!, we have:
Hosted by FaithBridge Portland, a nonprofit devoted to healing, and transformation, Black Girl LIVE! is the heart of the Community Heals Us initiative.
It’s an initiative meant to end the isolation that Black women and girls in crisis face.
To make them see beyond their today.
And to help them find their unique purpose that will push them toward their tomorrow.
Hosted by FaithBridge Portland, a nonprofit devoted to healing, and transformation, Black Girl LIVE! is the heart of the Community Heals Us initiative.
It’s an initiative meant to end the isolation that Black women and girls in crisis face.
To make them see beyond their today.
And to help them find their unique purpose that will push them toward their tomorrow.
Healing needs support, and support needs community.
That’s why Black Girl LIVE! includes a Resource Fair featuring organizations offering counselling, mental health services, grief support, mentorship, and other vital resources for Black girls and their families.
Whether you’re a young person looking for support or a caregiver searching for trusted connections, the Resource Fair is designed to help you leave with something real: resources, relationships, and a stronger sense that help is within reach.
Interested in joining the Resource Fair?
From youth leaders to seasoned healers, our speakers represent the resilience and brilliance of Black women and girls. You’ll hear from artists, educators, mental health advocates, and community trailblazers who are lighting the path forward.
Lisa Saunders
Qiana Woods
Passionate about giving a voice to the voiceless, Qiana Woods is a slam poet from Portland, OR, who has been writing since age 8. Her work reflects her commitment to storytelling and empowerment. In 2022, her poem “Contradictory” was featured in the WITS Anthology, and in 2024, she won first place at Verselandia with “Parallels to the Plantation” and “Song 33.” Motivated by a lack of representation, Qiana encourages others to share their stories with confidence.
Charlene Addy McGee
Charlene Addy McGee is the Director of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at Multnomah County Health Department. With over 17 years in public health, she champions health equity, policy development, and culturally responsive care. A Liberian-Oregonian and civil war survivor, Charlene’s lived experiences fuel her commitment to systemic change and community advocacy.
Canada Taylor Parker
Canada Taylor Parker is the Suicide Prevention Coordinator for Multnomah County, specializing in crisis response, grief, and trauma. With nearly 20 years in behavioral healthcare, she trains Peer Support Specialists and leads postvention efforts. A 2021 Trillium Health Mental Health Hero awardee, she is dedicated to serving underserved communities with authenticity and compassion.
Elizabeth Loving
Elizabeth Loving is dedicated to the mental and emotional well-being of youth, serving as a therapist, care coordinator, mental health coach, and consultant. She specializes in culturally specific strategies to help young minds navigate challenges. As co-owner of Black Star Athletic Academy in Portland, OR, she combines her expertise in mental health with a passion for sports, mentoring young athletes toward resilience and success. Elizabeth is committed to holistic youth development, empowering them to thrive in all aspects of life.
Nike Greene
Nike Greene is the Founder and Executive Director of Triple Threat Mentoring PDX, a Marriage & Family Therapist, keynote speaker, and coach. With over 15 years of experience in violence prevention, education, and social justice, Nike empowers individuals and organizations to create lasting change. She specializes in coaching, mental health, and building stronger communities through practical strategies and sustainable solutions.
Zalika Gardner
Zalika Gardner is a visionary leader, educator, and coach with 30 years of experience in public, private, and charter education. She has held various roles, including professor at Lewis & Clark’s School of Education, teacher, administrator, and equity facilitator. As a co-founder of KairosPDX, Zalika served in leadership roles, shaping educational culture. She now supports communities through Kulima LLC, offering leadership consulting, coaching, and workshop facilitation.
Sharice Burnett
Sharice Burnett is a dedicated Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with over a decade of experience in the mental health field. With a passion for empowering individuals and teams, Sharice has dedicated her career to facilitating growth, healing, and transformation within communities and organizations through innovative training and consultation, and mental health services. She specializes in providing comprehensive training and workshops aimed at enhancing workplace well-being, fostering effective and restorative communication, and implementing person-centered, equitable, trauma-informed practices and policies.
Her approach is grounded in community voice, social justice, and evidence-based practices tailored to meet the unique needs of each individual and organization. Whether providing mental health treatment services or facilitating workshops, she prioritizes creating a supportive and collaborative learning environment where people feel seen, heard, and empowered to enact positive change.
Libra Forde
Libra is a passionate leader and dynamic communicator who empowers others through words and action. Known for her calm presence and energizing spirit, she brings systems thinking and inspiration into every room she enters—encouraging others to grow, lead, and dream boldly.
FaithBridge Portland, led by pastor and community advocate Lisa Saunders, is committed to building a future where healing is shared, care is culturally grounded, and every voice is valued.
Through advocacy, storytelling, and transformational programming, FaithBridge Portland works to uplift historically excluded communities and create spaces where women can find healing and hope can take root.
Come celebrate Black girls. Come stand for their well-being. Come and help build the kind of community that refuses to look away from them.
Register now. Bring your heart. Leave with hope.
Join one of the most impactful community events for Black girls in Portland this May 15.
Follow the journey at #BlackGirlLIVE and #CommunityHealsUs
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