Oakland, CA — This month, Black Lives Matter launched the third annual Black Futures Month, a deliberate reinterpretation of the resistance and resilience of Black people as illustrated through art. In an impressive compilation of visual art and writing, Black Futures Month uses creative expression to visualize and discuss the future of issues that impact Black communities like labor reproductive and gender justice.

“Black Futures Month is a shared vision of the Movement for Black Lives. We aspire to use art to imagine what the future of Black life looks like,” said Tanya Lucia Bernard, Arts and Culture Director for Black Lives Matter. “We are committed to remembering, celebrating, and learning from our history, but also imagining our future.”

Each day in February, in partnership with Huffington Post Black Voices, Black Lives Matter will release an original piece of art and an accompanying written piece to reclaim Black History Month and demonstrate the importance of using art as both an inspiration and an organizing tool. Artists from across the country have been commissioned to use their genius to promulgate the conversation about what the future of Black life looks like.

“Of the many things we’re compelled and encouraged to do first in the face of Trump’s attacks on our basic rights and humanity, dreaming isn’t necessarily one of them,” said Shanelle Matthews, Director of Communications for Black Lives Matter. “But in the face of unimaginable assaults on our futures, we absolutely cannot cede our ability to imagine for ourselves.”

The Black Lives Matter Global Network envisions a world where all Black lives matter; where we have the resources rights, and recognition to make the best decisions for ourselves, our families and our communities; where our contributions, our humanity, and our resilience is not only acknowledged, but sustained; where we have the social, economic, and political power to thrive. We imagine a world where governance, safety, and security are informed and supported by communities. Art is an integral part of this ongoing struggle, complimenting on-the-ground organizing practices and tactics.

“Black Futures Month is the visual representation of our lived experiences,” said Opal Tometi, co-founder of Black Lives Matter. “It is directly connected to the fight to end state–sanctioned violence against Black people and is a visual manifestation of what Black liberation looks like.”

The Black Lives Matter Global Network (@blklivesmatter) organizes to end state-sanctioned violence against Black people. By combating and countering acts of violence and creating space for Black imagination and innovation, we are building power and winning immediate improvements in our lives.