ABSTRACT
Chapter 3 contextualizes the plight of Black girls within the notions of fake and real love by connecting realities during the COVID-19 pandemic with the current and historical assaults on Blackness followed by the Black scholar wisdom that guides me. I provide a detailed and thoughtful definition of fake love as witnessed through America’s historical events and contemporary news reports. Using the Black Literary Heritage, I elucidate the thick love which is needed to transform classroom environments and the educational institution overall. Radical Black Love is the foundation of creating a sanctuary and a truth space. It is through these communal experiences and knowledges found within that sanctuary that we gain insight into the political, social, economic, and cultural impetus that accompanies being Black and a girl.
