Timeline
In 1999 Joan Morgan published, "When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost" where she writes, “I wrote. Spent lots of time near the water. Heard Oshun's laughter twinkling like bells, urging me to recapture the feminine and discover the fierceness of a black girl’s magic.”
Beverly Bond, founder of BLACK GIRLS ROCK! and creator/executive producer of the BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Awards, has the first documented trademark registration for "Black Girl Magic" in 2014 and social media handles for Black Girl Magic on Twitter and Facebook (2014). Bond filed the trademark for Broadcast, Entertainment, and Merchandise after pitching a show of the same name as part of her development deal with BET Networks. [6]
CaShawn Thompson, a DC-based educator, claims that she is "the mother of #BlackGirlMagic" after she created the Black Girls are Magic hashtag in 2013 and Black Girls are Magic T-shirts for "an intimate circle of friends" in 2014. [7] However, there isn't any legal documentation of use, Uniform Resource Locator (URL), public facing marketing campaign, or registered business to substantiate Thompson's claims to coining the term "Black Girl Magic" before Bond registered for the trademark in 2014. Thompson also references a speech made by Michelle Obama at the 2015 BLACK GIRL ROCK! Awards, created by Beverly Bond,[8] as her inspiration to start conversations about Black women's achievements using the hashtag "Black Girl are Magic".
Legal
In 2016 Essence created a digital series titled "Black Girl Magic". In 2017 Essence Magazine attempted to trademark "Essence Black Girl Magic," although the registration for "Black Girl Magic" was already registered by Beverly Bond."[9] Bond won the legal dispute.
In March 2019, Google released an advertisement "Black Girl Magic: A moment in search", but neglected to mention or contact Bond to use her trademarked phrase, which upset individuals who believe that Black women's contributions to popular culture are being erased or minimized.[10]