Do our lives still matter?
We+Black is the Black Employee Resource Group at Wieden+Kennedy’s Portland office. Every year, we come together to put on an event for Black History Month.
But for many of us, the following the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor were both deep, painful reminders that—despite public promises of progress and change—many of our Black lives are still not being treated with the humanity, respect, and dignity that we deserve.
That left us feeling dismissed and disrespected.
As Black History Month approached, we posed a difficult but necessary question— back to ourselves, to our community, and to the world: Do Black lives really still matter today?
2023 marked ten years since the phrase “Black Lives Matter” was first spoken.
A decade of protest, progress, and pain.
A decade in which those words evolved—from a powerful rallying cry to mass-produced merchandise.
To honor the modern civil rights movement that shifted global consciousness, we created a campaign to remind the world that while many of us have moved on, we as Black people, our lives, our culture, our voices, and our contributions still matter.
And it became a year-long reminder…
To bring our vision to life, we hosted a gallery show premiering our short film, alongside work from local Black artists. It honored Black lives across eras: from cowboys on Oklahoma ranches to the 1963 Birmingham church bombing, to the voices still rising today.
To keep the momentum going, we took over Portland with bold billboards and train ads, reminding the city that supporting Black lives means showing up all year long.
Thanks to a generous partnership with Billups, our custom-designed train ran across the city from February through December 2023.
Credits:
Creative Director: Jordan Dinwiddie
Art Director: Benjamin Howard
Copywriter: Shareina Chandler
Head of W+K Production + JOINT: Orlee Tatarka
Senior Producer: Ricara Stokes
Integrated Producer: Zai Outlaw
Creative Operations and Strategist: Alia Thompson
Design Director: LaShun Tines
Design Producer: Paris Fontes-Michel
Designer: Eric Rogers
Business Affairs: Aliyah Oyamade
Creative Content Services: Zoe Schrepel, Anders Lund, Jasmine Jackson
Director of Photography: Aline Vieitez, Arvie McKenzie
Photography: Briah Michel
Original Music Composed By: David Henry Jr. / Nukbeatz
Editor: CJ Duncan
Assistant Editor: Ian DeVore
Executive Producer: Kathleen Russell
Head of Production: Catherine Liu
Post Producer: Zai Outlaw
Colorist: Jasmine Vazquez
Audio Producer: Louise Woodward
Sound Design / Audio Engineer: Candace Mortier
Featuring: Crystal Thomas, Jay Squared, Leah Tavares, Briah Michel, Destinee Scott, Kieran Yancy, Amir Armstrong, Ruby Robinson, Jordyn Jackson, Taylor Roberts, Yahkeema Moffitt
Contributors: Emery Barnes, Adewale Agboola, Gillian Carrington, Emily Knight, Adam Sirkin, Erin Leckenby, Alex Fitch, Gelareh Dehnad, Sydni Chutz, We+Black, W+KNYC Noir