Nebraskan empowering Black women
Ashlei Spivey of Omaha, Nebraska, is a lot of things. Black. A woman. A mother. But she might tell you that the place where all of these intersect is one of the most important aspects of her identity.
Spivey sees the world through that intersectional lens and is innately in tune with the challenges that face Black women and birthing people. Spivey uses that knowledge to advocate for girls and other women like her, which led to six years ago, when Spivey put a call out on social media for other Black women and femmes to join her in creating a unique space – a space that would celebrate Black women, a space that would offer much needed connection and community.
From that social media callout came a brunch with a DJ and in the fellowship that it brought, the beginnings of I Be Black Girl were birthed. I Be Black Girl, with Spivey seated at the head of the table, focuses on economic liberation, birth justice, Black-led investments and advocacy and power building.
From Black women searching for an authentic place where they did not always have to be the first and only ones in the room, came Nebraska’s first and only reproductive justice organization.
“We are moving into a space of healing justice, which I am really excited about,” Spivey said.
Spivey has been honored by the Urban League of Nebraska with its Service Award, by the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce as a Changemaker and by the Midlands Business Journal as part of its 40 Under 40 honor roll. Her work with I Be Black Girl has been featured in Forbes and was awarded a J.M. Kaplan Fund 2023 Innovation prize.
Today, in addition to continuing her work with I Be Black Girl, Spivey is the USA TODAY Woman of the Year for Nebraska.
Question: Who paved the way for you to create I Be Black Girl?
Answer: There are a number of Black women and femmes that made I Be Black Girl possible. A few that I always uplift are my mom, Lisa Spivey, Brenda Council and my good friend and colleague Jay Warren Teamer. Each of them has ushered and guided I Be Black Girl directly or indirectly and I wouldn’t – we wouldn’t – be here without them.
The bones of IBBG are rooted in the work of bell hooks – her catalogue of work has influenced how we show up and operationalize our work and we appreciate her contributions as an elder and now ancestor.
Who are you paving the way for through your work?
For Any Black woman, femme or girl. We deserve to live wholly and our vision is to create a society that allows for this – unapologetically.
What is your proudest moment?
Whew, there are so many! Recently a young Black girl who attended our Black Girls Lead Summit last year wrote about her experience in her college entry essay. Teenagers are a tough crowd and will keep you honest – so to see how we impacted her in the next chapter of her life was beautiful.
Do you have a lowest moment, and if so, what did it teach you?
All of the “Noes” We are a grant-funded organization and I am constantly working to ensure our organization can be sustainable. We know Blackled work is unfunded. Then, when you add the intersection of race and gender we get even less resources for this necessary and life or death work. However, we are still here! We have grown from just me to 13 staff and this showed me that I have to find our “yes” – find the folks who are aligned to this work.
Who is the person you look up to or looked up to?
My mom. She is extraordinary and was taken too soon from this earth. She passed because of reproductive neglect within her care, and is one of the reasons IBBG exists. Her life and journey, exemplifies the experiences of Black women and femmes in this country – both good and bad.