Photo credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images
This year, during Black History Month, trailblazing artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald's portraits of the first African American President and First Lady of the United States were unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery. With the portraits, Wiley and Sherald became the first Black artists to be commissioned to paint a presidential couple for the National Portrait Gallery.
Now, two siblings have recently channeled their inner Barack and Michelle Obama to recreate their official portraits. On Juneteenth, Instagram user @mamarazzi_t, shared photos of her son and daughter imitating the Obamas as seen in Wiley and Sherald's paintings. Both captions read:
"Happy #Juneteenth! When I think about the opportunities afforded my children by those who left a legacy that would continue to create a path for them, I am overwhelmed with hope and gratitude. Hopeful and grateful but not complacent. Today the struggle for freedom continues for people of color...and our children."
Check out the photos below:
You might also remember Parker Curry, the two-year-old girl who caught the attention of the entire internet (even from Michelle Obama herself) with a photo of her staring in awe of Michelle Obama's portrait.
During the unveiling ceremony, Mrs.Obama said: "This is all a little bit overwhelming, especially when I think about all of the young people who will visit the National Portrait Gallery and see this, including so many young girls and young girls of color who don’t often see their images displayed in beautiful and iconic ways. I am so proud to help make that kind of history."
Whether children are looking up at the Obamas' portraits or recreating them, this goes to show, once again, the power of representation.