Eunique Jones has been inspiring children and adults alike with her Because of Them We Can campaign. The artist's project shines a light on iconic personalities from the Black community by having children pose as some of these heroes. Her new coffee table book, Because of Them We Can, features 365 pages of her striking images along with bios and descriptions of the individuals being honored.
Jones started the project at the beginning of 2013 after the Trayvon Martin tragedy left her thinking about the fate of her two young sons.
"I began to reflect on my sons and their promising future — specifically the opportunities they could pursue as a result of the progress and achievements made by individuals past and present," she states on the campaign's website. "I also thought about the responsibility and, at times, the fear I carry as a mother raising Black boys."
What started as an effort to build up the self-esteem of our children while fighting against stereotypes quickly spilled long past Black History Month and her project soon developed into a movement that continues to this day. The resulting coffee table book, which features Jones's son posing as Muhammad Ali on the cover, was recently on view at BET's Leading Women Defined conference in Miami this past week in conjunction with her Dream Wall photo installation presented by American Family Insurance. Celebrities like Kelly Rowland, Tonya Lewis Lee, Beverly Bond and Tai Beauchamp all stopped by to view Jones's work.
Because of Them We Can will be released March 21. To learn more about Jones's mission and campaign, visit becauseofthemwecan.com.
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(Photo: Vladimir Banjanac for BET)