We’ve seen it done before, a parent dresses their child up to look like their favorite figure in Black History. And no matter how many times we’ve seen it done, never does it get old. Especially, when the parent puts in the time and effort to make it look as close to the original as possible.
Which is exactly what Cristi Jones of Kent, Washington did. Every single day in February she dressed her five-year-old daughter Lola as an iconic Black woman ad shared the results on Twitter.
In an interview with The Huffington Post, Jones said one of the most difficult parts was narrowing down the list.
“I tried to pick a diverse group with varied backgrounds. I wanted to highlight their accomplishments, regardless of their personal or political views. She just needs to know how they affected the world, so I picked women that could teach her a lesson in some way.”
To recreate the outfits, Jones mostly used Lola’s own wardrobe. And when that wasn’t enough, she turned to her mother’s closet or used her husband’s glasses. Jones took most of the photos with her cell phone but photographer Kayleigh Stefanko contributed as well.
As for Lola, Jones said she enjoys the process.
“She likes to get into costume, do hair and sometimes makeup, and in her words, ‘make their faces.’”
Jones said when she dressed as Bessie Coleman on day 4, she didn’t want to remove the aviator hat.
Jones favorite transformation was Fannie Lou Hamer.
“Showing Lola her photo, and watching her expression transform before me, was almost unnerving,” she said. “She had an innate ability to channel the emotion of the women in the original photos.”
In addition to this photo series, Jones says the two also “watch videos and movies, read stories and talk about the contributions and struggles of those who came before us.”
Check out all 28 pictures on the following pages.
