Cristi Smith-Jones and her adorable daughter, Lola, are celebrating Black History Month in a unique and creative way – through photography.
The mother-daughter duo from Seattle recreated historical photos of black figures and civil rights leaders.
In an interview, Smith-Jones revealed that the idea came to her because her cute kindergartner had questions about slavery, so she used her passion for dressing up to answer them.
The child, who attends Kent Elementary, came home in late January and told her mother she was learning about Martin Luther King Jr.
She had many tough questions about the civil rights leader, and the mother decided that she needed a clever way to teach her daughter about history.
She said: “I started thinking that this would be a fun way for her to learn about the strong women who paved the way for the youth of today.”
The solution, bring those historical figures to life, via pictures. She ran to a nearby thrift store, spent less than 50 dollars on props including hats and scarfs, and voila, she was able to transform the cutie pie into beloved black women, such as Rosa Parks and Shirley Chisholm to Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, and Misty Copeland.
Via social media, the duo has decided to share black and white pictures of little Lola dressed as 28 legends who changed history.
Smith-Jones, an artist, baker, and stay-at-home mom explained that she originally came up with the idea to share with family and friends, but it quickly took a life of its own.
Lola’s mother said that she is surprised that the pictures have gone viral and is overwhelmed by the positive reaction from people all over the world.
Teachers have also contacted Smith-Jones to use the photos in their classes. The mother of two said that her daughter is very shy and the project has helped her out of her shell.
Lola’s favorites thus far are Parks, Copeland, and Ruby Bridges.
Smith-Jones also explained that the photos had prompted a conversation about the current political atmosphere, Barack Obama, and Black Lives Matter in her home.
Day 10. Black History Month photo project. #RosaParks #blackhistorymonth #blackgirlsrock #blackhistoryisamericanhistory #blackgirlmagic pic.twitter.com/dxFdOTiSlQ
— Cristi Smith-Jones (@MsKittiFatale) February 10, 2017
