Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is portrayed by prominent Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson.
In 2015, the “We are Black History Campaign” was created by the Style Influencers Group. It comprises popular Black bloggers/writers and influencers Jessica Andrews, Christina Brown and Lexi Felder. The goal was to create powerful and striking images that pay tribute to the greatness of past Black historical figures. The campaign is a way to honor their arduous journey.
“In no way are we claiming to be the next iteration of these icons,” Andrews says. “We’re simply paying homage to them for the way they’ve inspired us in our careers and beyond.”
The latest campaign, which is presented by African Pride and shot by Jerome A. Shaw, launched this Wednesday and features eight of this year’s most important Black male digital media influencers posing in portraits besides historical Black figures. For example, activist Deray McKesson is posed alongside civil rights era leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Here is a sample of 2016’s campaign:
Essence.com digital content director Anslem Samuel Rocque as baseball player Jackie Robinson
Digital culture consultant Cory Townes as activist, educator and writer W.E.B. Dubois 
Writer and The Lowe Factor founder Jared Michael Lowe as writer and poet Langston Hughes
Writer and arts educator Joshua Bennett as abolitionist Frederick Douglass
STASHED editor-in-chief and founder Kazeem Famuyide as author Richard Wright
