What started off as a hobby for Sierra, the founder of City Girls Golf, has transformed into a movement for women in the Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) area. “I came up with the idea of City Girls Golf a year ago. I was learning how to play golf, taking lessons, and going to tournaments in different states to learn the game.” Sierra continued, “I noticed that I didn’t see a lot of women involved, and it made my journey in golf a lot harder because I didn’t have a community of women like me to be social with or practice golf with,” shared Sierra.
Taking matters into her own hands, she founded City Girls Golf with the purpose of creating opportunities for women of color to not only learn how to play golf but to also get involved in the golfing industry as a whole.
“The first event we ever had was with a group of my friends. We did a golf clinic, and I created a TikTok about it, which gained over 60K views,” she said. “We had so many ladies sharing interest in attending the next event, and now we’re hosting events every week.”
Today, the organization has an engaged following on Instagram of 39K followers, which is a testament to the necessity for communities like this. What makes this organization so special and crucial today is the access to resources and the supportive community for Black women to explore their talents in the sport of golf.
Typically, when people think of golf, there’s two things that may come to mind: 1) Tiger Woods and 2) How expensive the sport is, which is why golf is recognized as “a rich man’s sport.” According to Forbes.com, “77% of golfers are men, and golf courses that allow women often restrict the days and times when women can play, or have separate holes for women.” From the attire to the equipment, someone who’s looking to get involved in golf may have to consider spending “$10,000, if not upwards of $15,000, or $20,000 per year if you decide to pay for everything”, according to Stitch Golf.
Photo by Washington Talent Photographers
As the #1 community for female beginner golfers, City Girls Golf is breaking barriers in golf one swing at a time by making the sport affordable. Most of their events cost about $65 per person for a one-hour and 30-minute session, and equipment is provided. Just come cute in your pink and white and ready to play!
“We’re based in the DMV area. However, I see the participation of women of color in golf all over the nation. I love that City Girls Golf is playing a key role in showing representation, inspiring women all over to get involved and to not be scared just because you’re a beginner. We’re all about making it fun!” In a candid conversation, Sierra chatted with xoNecoleto discuss the journey of growing City Girls Golf, the impact it’s had on Black women, and how there is power in seeing pink on the golf course.
xoNecole: How did you decide the name City Girls Golf?
Sierra: While growing up in New York City, I didn’t see golf courses in my neighborhood until I moved to the suburbs. The golf scene is huge in the suburbs. In the city, you don’t really see many golf courses or opportunities to learn about the sport. The name “City Girls Golf” came about to empower women who lived in the inner cities to play. That’s why we strategically named the organization City Girls Golf, so women who live in the city can be exposed to the sport and can get involved.
xoN: What is the purpose and power behind having more women in golf today?
S: It’s great for networking, representation, and breaking barriers. We’ve participated in numerous tournaments, and people still come up to us, sharing how shocked they are to see so many young women of color playing golf. The representation is still not present in the golf industry, which is why I prioritize sharing what City Girls Golf is doing on social media. We’re very aggressive with our marketing and post content to normalize it. We’re constantly sharing content of women of color playing golf, getting involved in the sport, having fun, and looking pretty in our outfits. We’re always posting to continue spreading the message and to gain respect in such a male-dominated industry.
Photo by Washington Talent Photographers
xoN: What are the core values of City Girls Golf?
S: Authenticity. We want everyone to show up as their authentic self. A lot of times, golfers think they have make a certain type of money, act a certain way, and look a certain way, but that’s not always the case. We believe everyone can show up as their authentic self.
Women of color. All of our events are catered predominantly to women of color, and we curate spaces for women of color to join and learn golf.
Community. We believe in wearing pink and white to represent City Girls Golf. When all the girls wear pink and white, it shows we’re unified, one community and one team. Also, the color pink symbolizes strength, femininity, and this is needed more in the golf industry.
Photo by Washington Talent Photographers
xoN: How do you think playing golf translates into your confidence as a woman in your day to day?
S: Golf is already a challenging sport. As a woman in a predominantly white male industry and playing a sport, I’ve never seen any of my family members or anyone in my social circle play, I'm already challenging the system. Learning golf, in general, takes a lot of confidence because, in the beginning, you suck. It’s a hard sport and extremely humbling because you see everyone else hitting the ball, but you can barely get the basics down. However, it does take someone with a lot of confidence to stay persistent in learning and persevering until you get better. Personally, playing golf has boosted my confidence. It helps me in different aspects of my life, such as talking to anyone and feeling comfortable in different rooms.
To get involved with City Girls Golf’s follow them on Instagram and head to their website to sign up for their email list to know about upcoming events. To become a sponsor and further support their mission, send your information to citygirlsgolf@citygirlsgolf.org.
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Feature image by Ashley Jean Creative
Asha, meaning "full of life," was born and raised in New York City. Growing up with a big family and connecting with diverse people throughout life inspired Asha to take her communication skills to greater heights. After graduating with a Bachelor's in Mass Communications and a Master's in Business Administration, she aspires to write about topics relevant to the growth of young Black women. Aside from writing, Asha finds fulfillment in keeping up with fashion trends, indulging in self-care, attending social events, and exploring new activities with family and friends.
There’s just something about HBCU Homecoming that just hits different. Whether it’s your first time stepping onto the yard since graduation or you’re a regular at every Homecoming tailgate, HBCU pride is undeniable. It’s a vibrant celebration that unites the legacy of excellence and tradition with the energy and resilience of Black culture.
The experience goes beyond a typical college reunion; HBCU Homecoming is a family reunion, a fashion show, a cultural festival, and a week-long turn-up that embodies what it means to be unapologetically Black and educated. For HBCU alumni, the journey back to the yard each year is rooted in a love and pride that’s hard to put into words but impossible to deny.
From statement pieces to tech must-haves, every item represents the intersection of Black pride and HBCU love, ensuring that you show up to the yard in style and with intention. So whether you’re repping your alma mater for the first time since graduation or looking for fresh pieces to express your HBCU pride, these essentials will have you standing out, because, at HBCU Homecoming, it’s not just about showing up—it’s about showing out.
Thread Goals
diarrablu Jant Pants in Alia Noir
High-waisted, wide-legged, and ready to shut down the yard, the Jant Pants by diarrablu bring a whole new meaning to campus chic. Handcrafted in Dakar, Senegal, these free-flowing jacquard pants are perfect for stepping onto the yard with style and ease—making them a must-have for any HBCU alum’s closet.
Silver & Riley Convertible Executive Leather Bag Classic Size in Olive
This all-in-one luxury bag isn’t a bestseller for nothing. The Silver & Riley essential is made of Italian calfskin leather and thoughtfully designed, as it can be worn in four different ways: a shoulder bag, crossbody, a top handle, and a backpack. Chic and elegant, the Convertible Executive Leather bag is “the bag that every woman needs in her collection.”
Renowned Women's Intuition Cotton Graphic T-Shirt
Renowned
Renowned’s Women’s Intuition Cotton Graphic T-shirt features a bold graphic print inspired by the power and essence of women’s intuition. With its striking design, this all-cotton tee is a vibrant thing, making it a statement piece that celebrates feminine energy.
Mifland Million M Mesh Crop Shirt
Talk about bold, the Million M Mesh Crop Shirt combines edgy style with comfort, featuring Mifland’s signature print on a semi-see-through mesh fabric. Show up and show out in sophisticated flair.
HBCU Love FUBU
Melanin Is Life Melanated & Educated - I Love My HBCU Hoodie
Show off your HBCU love with this piece that represents everything you gained from your alma mater: a top-tier education, a community that lifts you up, and a deep sense of esteem for yourself and your culture. Wear it loud and proud, because being melanated and educated isn’t just a flex—it’s a legacy.
HBCU Culture Spelmanite Sweatshirt in Navy
Spelmanites, rep your Spelman pride with this unisex crewneck sweatshirt, designed for ultimate comfort and a relaxed fit. Made from a cozy cotton/polyester blend, this classic sweatshirt is as durable as it is stylish—making it an ideal piece for any Spelmanite showing love for their alma mater.
HBCU Culture Howard Is The Culture T-Shirt
Rock the ultimate flex by showcasing your Howard U love with HBCU Culture’s Howard Is The Culture t-shirt. This unisex tee offers a comfortable, relaxed fit that’s perfect for celebrating your HBCU spirit without sacrificing style or comfort.
DungeonForward FAMU - Strike Bucket - Reversible
DungeonForward’s Strike Bucket Hat brings versatility and style to the FAMU Crown collection with its reversible design, giving you two looks in one. Featuring a sleek black snakeskin-embossed brim lining and a bold outline Rattler emblem, this hat is all about repping your Rattler pride in style.
DungeonForward Savannah State University - HBCU Hat - TheYard
The Savannah State University HBCU Hat by DungeonForward is more than just a hat—it’s a symbol of Tiger pride and a nod to the culture. Perfect for gamedays, tailgates, or just showing off your HBCU love, this hat lets you carry a piece of the yard wherever you go.
Tech the Halls
Anker iPhone 16 Portable Charger, Nano Power Bank
Stay charged up with the Anker Nano Power Bank, which features dual USB-C ports, a foldable connector, and a compact design, making it perfect for those HBCU tailgates and late-night parties you pull up to.
Drip Check
Wisdom Frame 14 Square Sunglasses
Elevate your look with these angular square-frame sunglasses by Wisdom, bringing an ultramodern edge to any outfit. The sleek design makes them perfect for blocking out the haters while you stunt on the yard.
Coco and Breezy Eyewear Fortune in Gray Turquoise
The Fortune Glasses in Grey Turquoise is a bold statement piece to any Homecoming weekend ‘fit that “embody our fearless and outspoken DNA.” With their color and edgy design, these frames by Coco and Breezy are perfect for anyone looking to stand out and express their unapologetic confidence.
Howard U Lapel Pin
Rep your Bison pride wherever you go with this Howard U Lapel Pin from Pretty AmbVision. Whether adding it to your jacket, shirt, or bag, this pin is the perfect way to showcase your love for your alma mater while rocking your HBCU love with honor and distinction.
Mifland Standard Rucksack Mini
The Standard Rucksack is designed to evolve like that HBCU pride—getting richer, bolder, and better with time. Durable, stylish, and built to last, this Rucksack by Mifland is a timeless piece equipped with versatile carrying options and fully adjustable back straps for ultimate comfort.
Stay Fresh, Stay Blessed
Slip Pure Silk Sleep Mask in Pink
Keeping it cute starts with beauty sleep. This luxurious silk mask is an essential for a reason. If protecting your skin and waking up refreshed is your priority, look no further than this Homecoming essential.
Liquid I.V.® Hydration Multiplier Lemon Lime - Hydration Powder Packets
Stay hydrated and energized throughout Homecoming weekend with this Liquid I.V.® Hydration Multiplier in Lemon Lime. Just add a packet to your water bottle, and bless your body with 2-3 times more hydration than water with every packet. Because staying hydrated is the key to popping up and showing out all weekend long!
Loop Experience Plus Earplugs High Fidelity Hearing Protection
Designed for your hearing protection, these sleek earplugs reduce noise without compromising sound quality—perfect for enjoying the band’s halftime show, late-night parties, and DJ sets. Whether you’re front row at the step show or hitting the yard, your ears deserve to be protected in style!
Black Girl Magic Glass Cup
Sip in style and celebrate your melanin with the Black Girl Magic Glass Cup. Perfect for morning coffee, your favorite iced drink, or showing off your HBCU pride on the yard—this cup is all about keeping it cute while radiating your endless supply of Black Girl Magic.
Glow Up & Show Out
Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30
What Homecoming weekend can be complete without an assist from this beauty find? Formulated to blend seamlessly into melanin-rich skin (no white-cast), protect your glow while you turn up with the Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30.
Sienna Naturals Issa Rae's Wash Day Ritual Set
Issa Rae’s Wash Day Ritual Set from Sienna Naturals includes the H.A.PI. Shampoo, the Plant Power Repair Mask, Dew Magic, and Lock and Seal to get your crown right. Whether you’re repping your coils or rocking a new color on the yard, these products restore and nourish your strands, keeping your hair healthy, strong, and Homecoming-ready!
54 Thrones Ivorian Cocoa + Ghanaian Coconut Beauty Butter
Stay glowing from the tailgate to the after-party with the 54 Thrones Ivorian Cocoa + Ghanaian Coconut Beauty Butter. Infused with African-sourced ingredients, this rich, multi-purpose butter is the answer to keeping your skin soft and radiant through all the festivities all Homecoming long.
Saie Glossybounce Hydrating Lip Oil
Keep your lips looking luscious and nourished with the Saie Glossybounce Hydrating Lip Oil. Perfect for adding an extra pop to your pout before hitting the yard or freshening up between events, this lip oil is a beauty essential for staying camera-ready all weekend.
Join us in celebrating HBCU excellence! Check out our Best In Class hub for inspiring stories, empowering resources, and everything you need to embrace the HBCU experience.
Featured image by Visual Vic/Getty Images
Why Changing Careers Is A Revolutionary Act For Black Women
In recent years, research has found, career transitions for women were up 54% compared to men (46%). Another report found that 88% of women are “open to new opportunities.” The top reasons for changing careers are the desire for better pay and to work for companies that align with their purpose and have higher missions. And I'm sure we've all heard, time after time, how so many women left the workforce altogether to pursue entrepreneurship full-time.
For Black women, making a career change is especially revolutionary, considering several major factors that impact wealth building, mental health, and family life. Here are a few reasons to consider and why, as Black women, making a career pivot can be one of the most daring and empowering culture-shifting moves yet:
Quality Of Life
Black women face unique challenges with wealth building, with a major part of the problem being unequal pay. This year, it was found that Black women have to work more than 7 months into a new year to make the same amount as their white, non-Hispanic male counterparts were paid in 2023.
Also, the average Black woman who is a full-time professional year-round is typically paid 68 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men, which means an annual salary loss of $22,120 for Black women (a whopping $884,800 over the course of a 40-year career.)
When we think about those numbers, it’s obvious that as ambitious Black women who want more for ourselves and our children, we have no choice but to seek better opportunities or create them. Oftentimes this means changing careers so that we can finally make the money we need to live comfortably, building a business from scratch, or pursuing a side hustle (that becomes a full-time business). Many of us literally have no choice if we want to survive and thrive.
Career Fulfillment
Many of us not only want to make enough money to become financially free (or at least be able to simply pay our bills) but we also want to pursue careers that challenge us, utilize the fullness of our skill sets, and allow us to apply unique ways of delivering on a goal or task.
We want to be ourselves, wear our hair in any style we choose without being questioned or penalized, and we want to be respected and rewarded for the actual work that we do that contributes to the multi-million-dollar bottom lines of companies.
Some of our favorite go-getter professionals have taken a leap for the better. From influencer and entrepreneur Monroe Steele, who exited the physical therapy field. “I had reached a point where I thought I was going to burn out,” she shared in a video. “For some reason, because I’d already asked for a day off, and my hours were already reduced, it kind of seemed like they wanted to put the stress on me, to give up more hours in order to bring on this new therapist.”
“They wanted me to decrease my hours and take a pay cut for three or four months,” she continued. “I also couldn’t understand why they were only asking me. If this was for the betterment of the company, why wasn’t everybody pitching in an hour or two?” Instead of going for another job in that field, she continued to build her brand and now works with major retailers and fashion houses, has flexibility in time to travel and enjoy life, and has been able to tap into her creative side for a living.
Other women who’ve transitioned into different careers for fulfillment are former first lady Michelle Obama, financial advocacy entrepreneur Tiffany Aliche, life coach Joyel Crawford, marketer Jayde Powell, and gospel singer Yolanda Adams. So many women change jobs or careers simply because they’re led to a higher purpose, are let go from a job they gave their all to, or are forced to seek solutions to find happiness and balance in their work lives.
Radical Freedom Of Self-Expression
Codeswitching. Constant microagressions.Competing in a rigged game. Heightened occurrences of harassment and violence at work. (Yes, it’s a real thing.) Black women, who simply want to go to work, do their work, get paid for that work, and get home safely are tired of it. And with the pandemic came some terrifying but enlightening realizations that we don’t have to take it anymore. (Hello, Great Resignation!) And our mental health can’t really take it anymore either.
Experts have pinpointed the effects of something called “Black fatigue,” where extreme stress, due to the aforementioned, can lead to “extreme exhaustion and causes mental, physical, and spiritual maladies that are passed down from generation to generation."
When Black women quit to totally pivot into something different, it is an act of empowering rebellion. It’s paving a way for the next generation of Black women professionals to say no to the hot mess that’s offered to them. It’s a stance of fearlessness in a work world that sometimes doesn’t even reward excellence.
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Featured image by Delmaine Donson/Getty