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Billboards around Baton Rouge pay tribute to prominent figures throughout Black History Month
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BATON ROUGE - While driving around the capital city, you may notice a big display of some prominent Black pioneers who have left their mark on history.
Lamar Advertising created billboards that showcase six notable African-Americans who achieved "firsts" in their respective fields.
"Hopefully they're encountering a couple every day on their commute and picking up a new piece of information every time they pass by one," said Mendi Robinson, marketing and creative director at Lamar Advertising Company.
The billboards show off people like Guion Bluford, who was the first African-American in space. Others include Gwendolyn Brooks, the first Black Pulitzer Prize winner, and Mary Eliza Mahoney, the first African-American nurse.
"Those aren't names that I could rattle off in my head before this, but now I can," Robinson said.
Since 1976, Black History Month has been a national space for Black communities to celebrate themselves and inform others about movements and people who have helped to shape our society. This year, Lamar Advertising did just that by putting 25 of these billboards around Baton Rouge.
"I think diversity is so important nowadays, and this campaign is just bringing that to light," Communications Director Allie McAlpin said.
With these historical messages of motivation, they hope to empower many more pioneers in the Black community.
"To me, it's motivating that anybody can make strides and make their name," Robinson said.
Robinson says the project began in Baton Rouge, but Lamar has expanded to 600 digital billboards across the country. The billboards will stay up until the end of February.
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