A group of sixth graders are celebrating some very important historical figures with Black History Month photos inspired by their heroes. Students at Milwaukee College Prep School in Wisconsin honored some inspiring Black leaders by recreating photos of famous icons.
Terrance Sims Jr., a teacher at Milwaukee College Prep School, has made it an annual tradition for his students, who are predominantly Black, to celebrate Black History Month with a special project. This year’s project is titled “Representation is Key.”
“I think it’s extremely important for students to know and embrace their culture,” he told PEOPLE. “It is who we are, and when we know who we are we can flourish around others different from us. Learning to love ourselves builds self esteem and allows us to be successful and happy people.”
The images, which are mostly recreations of book covers, were entirely the student’s ideas. The photos include Lady Michelle Obama‘s Becoming book cover and The Autobiography of Malcolm X. The students’ other images include Assata Shakur’s autobiography, Biggie Smalls, Sharon G. Flake’s The Skin I’m In and the cast of Black-Ish.
Check out all the impressive photos below!
—Shahrzad Warkentin
Featured photo: simsstrong via Instagram
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