CHALLENGE
Every February, We+Black—the Black ERG at W+K Portland—hosts an event for Black History Month.
But after the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, one truth cut deep: despite all the public promises of progress, too many of our lives are still not treated with the humanity and respect we deserve.
So as Black History Month approached, we asked a hard but necessary question—of ourselves, our community, and the world: Do Black lives really still matter?
2023 marked ten years since “Black Lives Matter” was first said out loud. Ten years of protest, progress, and pain. Ten years of a rallying cry that’s been shouted in the streets—and printed on sweatshirts. We wanted to reclaim this phrase.
SOLUTION
We created a campaign that refused to let people move on.
It began with a gallery show, premiering our short film alongside work from local Black artists—honoring Black lives across eras, from Oklahoma cowboys to the victims of Birmingham, to upcoming artists.
Then we took the message out of the gallery and into the city. With Bold billboards. Train takeovers. And thanks to a partnership with Billups, a custom We+Black train ran across Portland from February through December.
A year-long reminder that supporting Black lives isn’t seasonal.
This wasn’t nostalgia. It was a declaration: our lives, our culture, our voices, our contributions still matter. Always.
Credits:
Creative Director: Jordan Dinwiddie
Art Director: Benjamin Howard
Copywriter: Shareina Chandler
Head of W+K Production + JOINT: Orlee Tatark
Senior Producer: Ricara Stokes
Integrated Producer: Zai Outlaw
Creative Operations: Alia Thompson
Design Director: LaShun Tines
Design Producer: Paris Fontes-Michel, Designer: Eric Rogers
Business Affairs: Aliyah Oyamade
Strategist: Alia Thompson
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