What happens when a young girl watches a woman who looks like her dominate on the court and suddenly realizes, “Wait… I can do that too”?

Sometimes, one moment is enough to change the way a girl sees herself.

For Keonna Farmer, that moment came years ago when she was a young basketball player in Birmingham, watching Kaneisha Horn take the court. Farmer was already good at basketball, really good, but she didn’t yet understand the possibilities that could come from her talent. She didn’t know the sports world, the opportunities, or the doors that could eventually open. Then she saw someone who looked like her doing exactly what she dreamed of doing, and that representation stayed with her.

Years later, Farmer found herself creating that same feeling for another generation.

On August 3, Birmingham became the backdrop for Barbie Dream Night, a WNBA watch party inspired by the excitement surrounding women’s basketball and the growing visibility of women in sports. As the Atlanta Dream faced the Las Vegas Aces, more than 60 girls and parents gathered for an evening filled with basketball, food, giveaways, laughter, pink-and-white outfits and, perhaps most importantly, inspiration.

Farmer, a former athlete, wanted to create an experience that reminded young girls that sports could take them somewhere much bigger than the basketball court. It could introduce them to careers, business, branding, leadership, media, fashion, community and countless other possibilities.

The idea came together very quickly.

Farmer had originally planned to attend the WNBA game herself, but that plan changed, and instead of simply accepting that she wouldn’t be there, she started thinking about what she could create right here in Birmingham.

“I originally had plans to attend the game myself, and God pushed me away from that, but I kept thinking, ‘What if I created something here instead, since I can’t get them to the game on such short notice?” Farmer recalls.

Less than eight days later, Barbie Dream Night was happening.