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As we get ready to watch the Oscars this weekend, the conversation around diversity in the films that are celebrated are inescapable. But across the pond in London, a group of folks are reimagining our favorite films and shows with Black protagonists.
These posters can be seen by people walking all around Brixton, south London this week on bus stops.
The original images created for the campaign were made by a social justice group called Legally Black. The four young activists from south London, Liv Francis-Cornibert, Shiden Tekle, Bel Matos da Costa, and Kofi Asante, aim to combat the ways in which Black people are portrayed in the media.
“We have all been affected by the issue directly and indirectly and can see first hand the damage it causes,” their landing page reads. “The aim of the project is to increase awareness surrounding the lack of Black representation in the media and furthermore create dialogue and discussion around the often inaccurate and harmful depictions that do occur.”
Francis-Cornibert wants to highlight that stereotyping and erasing Black folks isn’t just happening in American media, it’s an issue in British media, too.
“At the moment I’m in love with Black Panther,” Francis-Cornibert told Mashable. “It’s phenomenal, but I feel like a lot of the time when we are say things like ‘Oscars so white’ it’s focused on America and American media.”
While their work was met with some resistance (because white people), Francis-Cornibert is quick to point out this isn’t just about Black representation—its about equal and accurate representation.
“It’s not about taking a typically white show and making it Black, it’s about taking a Black show, or a Southeast Asian show,” she said. “Any person of color should feel like they’re accurately represented in the media. It should be about making shows that are authentic to those people.”
Check out some of the posters down below.
