5-year-old girl recreates iconic photos for Black History Month
A little girl from Kent, Washington, is channeling the legacy of iconic black women to honour Black History Month.
Every day in February, Cristi Smith-Jones snapped a photo of her five-year-old daughter, Lola, dressed as a different famous black woman from history. The black and white images were then uploaded to her Twitter account.
Over the course of a month, Lola has emulated a range of notable black women from different eras, such as novelist Zora Neale Hurston…
Day 24. Black History Month photo project. #zoranealehurston #blackhistorymonth #blackhistoryisamericanhistory #womeninliterature pic.twitter.com/OvTJojYFNO
— Cristi Smith-Jones (@MsKittiFatale) February 24, 2017
Civil rights activist Rosa Parks…
Day 10. Black History Month photo project. #RosaParks #blackhistorymonth #blackgirlsrock #blackhistoryisamericanhistory #blackgirlmagic pic.twitter.com/dxFdOTiSlQ
— Cristi Smith-Jones (@MsKittiFatale) February 10, 2017
Harriet Tubman, leader in the Underground Railroad who led many black slaves to freedom…
Day 15. Black History Month photo project. #harriettubman #blackhistorymonth #blackgirlsrock #blackhistoryisamericanhistory pic.twitter.com/Qr6sB1kklv
— Cristi Smith-Jones (@MsKittiFatale) February 15, 2017
Politician Shirley Chisholm, who was the first black woman elected to Congress and the first to run for president of the United States…
Day 9. Black History Month photo project. 1st black woman elected to Congress & to run for POTUS for the Democratic Party. #shirleychisholm pic.twitter.com/G18eI0GaDW
— Cristi Smith-Jones (@MsKittiFatale) February 9, 2017
And Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman to travel to space.
Day 7. Black History Month photo project. #maejemison #blackhistorymonth #firstblackwomanastronaut pic.twitter.com/WRLiK1tuld
— Cristi Smith-Jones (@MsKittiFatale) February 7, 2017
Each reimagined image was posted next to the original photo, revealing a striking similarity between Lola and every woman she channeled.
The project has attracted quite a bit of attention, including from ballerina Misty Copeland, who retweeted Lola’s tribute to her.
Smith-Jones told CNN that she started the project after Lola expressed an interest in Martin Luther King Jr., who she learned about in school. Smith-Jones said that she recognized the importance of talking to her daughter about slavery and civil rights, but felt it was a heavy topic. That’s when she decided to teach Lola about black history in a way that would be fun for the little girl, by indulging in her love of dress-up.
A list of historic black women was complied and Lola chose the photos that she wanted to recreate. Mother and daughter then dove into the family’s closet to find wigs and other accessories for every photoshoot. Smith-Jones took most of the photos on her phone, but said a professional photographer friend also volunteered her skills.
Smith-Jones told CNN that her daughter was able to identify with the women she portrayed in the photos.
“Her ability to emulate them is uncanny,” she said.
