Little girl dresses up as 28 iconic women to celebrate Black History Month

5-year-old Lola and her Mom take to social media every February to dress up as famous black women from history. In 2017, the pair posted a photo every single day.

Dressing up as famous women to celebrate Black History Month

February is Black History Month, a opportunity to learn and celebrate important people, events and achievements of African heritage. When much of the history we learn in schools still tends to be centered around Europe and the United States, this is an especially important event. One 5-year-old girl has found a creative way to celebrate the month. Lola and her mother, Cristi Smith-Jones, take to Twitter every February to dress up as famous black women from history. Back in 2017, the pair posted a photo every single day. We selected 12, but we spotted this fantastic story on Upworthy, where you can see the rest.

Smith-Jones says her daughter's love of history began on Martin Luther King Jr. Day when Lola learned about Martin Luther King Kr. at school. Her parents figured it would be a good time to talk to her about slavery and the civil rights movement.
Nina Simone Smith-Jones says her daughter’s love of history began on Martin Luther King Jr. Day when Lola learned about Martin Luther King Kr. at school. Her parents figured it would be a good time to talk to her about slavery and the civil rights movement. Source: Twitter
The family decided that to tackle such a heavy topic, they'd make it fun by taking advantage of Lola's love for dress-up.
Misty Copeland The family decided that to tackle such a heavy topic, they’d make it fun by taking advantage of Lola’s love for dress-up. “Since it’s a heavy topic, we wanted to find a way to make learning about black history fun for her,” her mom said. Source: Twitter
Smith-Jones picked out some influential black women from history and taught Lola about them. They then showed Lola pictures of the women, and she picked out who she wanted to dress up as. The family rummaged through their cupboards to recreate an iconic woman for each day of Black History Month.
Maya Angelou Smith-Jones picked out some influential black women from history and taught Lola about them. They then showed Lola pictures of the women, and she picked out who she wanted to dress up as.
The family rummaged through their cupboards to recreate an iconic woman for each day of Black History Month. Source: Twitter
Smith-Jones said that Lola, who is
Bessie Coleman, 1st black woman pilot Smith-Jones said that Lola, who is “by nature very quiet and serious in school,” has come to identify with the women she has studied. “Her ability to emulate them is uncanny,” she added. Source: Twitter
Ida B Wells Source: Twitter
Mary McLeod Bethune Source: Twitter
Smith-Jones said that Dr. Jemison
Dr. Mae Jemison Smith-Jones said that Dr. Jemison “taught (Lola) that she can be anything she wants and that you can change your mind — you don’t have to be the same thing forever.” Source: Twitter
Ist black woman elected to Congress & to run for POTUS for the Democratic Party.
Shirley Chisholm Ist black woman elected to Congress & to run for POTUS for the Democratic Party. Source: Twitter
Rosa Parks Source: Twitter
The monumental love story of Richard and Mildred Loving resulted in the landmark Supreme Court case that wiped away the last segregation laws in America.
Mildred and Richard Loving The monumental love story of Richard and Mildred Loving resulted in the landmark Supreme Court case that wiped away the last segregation laws in America. Source: Twitter
Please note: Black History Month UK is October not February.
Harriet Tubman Please note: Black History Month UK is October not February. Source: Twitter

Michelle Obama and Condoleezza Rice:

Smith-Jones tweeted: “As this months draws to a close, I thought it pertinent to finish the month with two photos. We had quite a bad amount of requests asking us to feature Michelle Obama. I decided to pay tribute to her, and to Dr. Condoleeza Rice, as a way to illustrate that, while they may have very different political views, this project superseded politics to me. This was not about pushing a political agenda, or who I identified with most, this was about celebrating the lives of inspiring black women, and teaching my daughter that she can grow up to create change, like the women we featured this month. Why not everyone may agree with all of my choices, each woman had a lesson to teach Miss Lola.”

Sources: Upworthy, CNN

“This was not about pushing a political agenda, or who I identified with most, this was about celebrating the lives of inspiring black women, and teaching my daughter that she can grow up to create change, like the women we featured this month.”
“Each woman had a lesson to teach Miss Lola.” Tweeted Smith-Jones “This was not about pushing a political agenda, or who I identified with most, this was about celebrating the lives of inspiring black women, and teaching my daughter that she can grow up to create change, like the women we featured this month.” Source: Twitter

Know Your Black History: Facts and People

February is dedicated as Black History Month, honoring the triumphs and struggles of African Americans throughout US history, including the civil rights movement and their artistic, cultural and political achievements. Learn more. Please note: Black History Month UK is October not February.

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