Social Good — Geneya Terlouw

215 McCANN: BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Photo Gallery

Alvin Ailey. Tommie Smith. John Carlos.
What do these names mean to you?
What about Shirley Chisholm?

These are some of the Americans who crafted this nation.

But these aren’t the typical names we hear every February. While heroes like Martin Luther King Jr., Maya Angelou or Harriet Tubman should always be remembered, there are so many more African-Americans that fought for civil rights and shaped our country’s history. Black history goes far beyond what’s included in our history books. It includes the athletes who stood up for justice and the authors who wrote the truth. It’s full of poets, musicians and scientists who helped build the American dream.

And it’s not just history. It’s alive. Growing. Still happening today. From the first African-American President, to the creators of the Black Lives Matter movement. Even though there is still a long way to go, all of these movers are making strides today because of the leaders of our past.

So what do names like Zora Neale Hurston, Henrietta Lacks, or Arthur Ashe mean? Everything.

This empty office space turned Black History Month portrait gallery gave our coworkers an opportunity to learn those names. Each day of the month, we celebrated a different historical figure by adding their image to the wall. Then, on February 28th, we flipped each frame to show 28 current-day figures still working hard to pave the way for equality. The display continues to hang today, letting our coworkers know that history is still being made.

Concept
Design
Art Direction