Twenty-nine year old Eunique Jones isn’t a full-time professional photographer; in fact she’s only been snapping pics professionally for three years. However, following the buzz behind her current Black History Month campaign, one suspects that might change sooner than later.

A Bowie, MD native and proud graduate of Bowie State University, Jones launched “Because of Them, We Can” at the start of February; the 28-day online exhibit features adorable children posed as Black heroes and notables, including Fredrick Douglass, Angela Davis and Muhammad Ali. The photos, shared on her Facebook page, went viral in a matter of days with new fans eagerly waiting to see who would be featured next.

Jones says it was her own two sons who inspired her to do the series. She tells EBONY, “My oldest was born the year of President Obama’s election and my seven month old was born the year of his re-election.  I was thinking about all of the doors [he] and many others have opened through the trails they’ve blazed. From there the concept of “Because of Them, We Can” came to me.” Her eldest son, Chase, appears as Muhammad Ali.

Some of the children featured were existing photography clients (if you need something to do on your lunch break, get lost in the gorgeous family photography on her website), while others came from an open call placed on Facebook.

The popularity of “Because of Them” has lead Jones, who cites Gordon Parks and Sharon Farmer as her photography heroes, to consider expanding the series beyond February: ” Twenty-eight days is just so limiting.  There are so many other notable Blacks I’d want to include and there are so many other children I’d like to inspire.”

Check out some of our favorite pics from the series above and the entire campaign here.  Become a fan of Eunique Jones Photography on Facebook and visit her official website. 

— Jamilah Lemieux