Little Girl Recreates Iconic Black Women's Photos

Janine Harper wanted her daughter to learn about black women she could look up to. How’d she do it? dress her daughter up as them.

Ms. Harper found an online photography project that had made the rounds online virally. Ms. Jaime Moore felt that it was important her daughter learn about a new brand of women heroes throughout history, and turned their dress-up lessons into a beautiful photography project. She wanted to do the same thing for her 5-year-old daughter, Lily so together with her husband Marc Bushell, they created their own series featuring iconic Black women.

The above picture features Lily as Toni Morrisson, the first black woman to win the Nobel prize in Literature.

8c7a813c885ac933973d233d5d414c6d_650x-700x525c — Lily (right) as Josephine Baker; dancer, singer, activist, and international spy

Together with her husband Marc, Janine did the research for figures in Black Herstory, and recreated their best-known photographs through costumes and editing, with a different “she-ro” to personify once a week. Lily would get a short lesson on each of the women they’d be doing before commencing the shoot, so she understood and appreciated learning more about these phenomenal women.

Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman to go to space. She launched in the Space Shuttle Endeavour in September 1992, and has also made an appearance in Star Trek: The Next Generation. — Lily as Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman to go to space. She launched in the Space Shuttle *Endeavour* in September 1992, and has also made an appearance in *Star Trek: The Next Generation.*

“We hope that by making these associations early we will instill a strong pride in her that will fortify her against any discrimination she may face in the future,” Harper shares with NPR. Lily is taking very well to her mum and dad’s project, and has begun to look up to and relate with a number of the women in the shoots they’ve done.

Good job, Janine and Marc! We salute you!