Photographs of black children with Down’s Syndrome were beamed from the Piccadilly Lights.
The 780 sq m billboard displayed the images, which were part of the ‘Reflecting Radiance’ exhibition, for 10 minutes from 5pm on 6 October, to commemorate both Black History and Down Syndrome Awareness months.
The Black Child’s Down Syndrome project (BCDS) secured this milestone after the photographs, taken by Oscar nominee Misan Harriman, were shown at Hope 93 Gallery in honour of World Down Syndrome Day back in March.
BCDS was founded in May 2024 by four black female social entrepreneurs – Oneness Sankara, Marsha Martin, Tonye Faloughi-Ekezie and Danise B. Grant.
Sankara, Faloughi-Ekezie and Grant have children with Down’s Syndrome, whilst Martin has a child with autism.
Marsha Martin, chief executive officer (CEO) and founder of Black SEN Mamas said: “It was really monumental, it was just such a beautiful experience, and I don’t think I could have hoped for it to have gone better than it did.”
Some children featured in the exhibition were present and were thrilled to see themselves on the big screen.
Danise B. Grant, founder of Panda’s Tree: Black Down Syndrome UK said: “It was seeing the children get to be like ‘Oh my goodness, it’s me’. It was just incredible. Their faces were absolutely priceless.”
They also noticed the attention it was getting from strangers who whipped out their phones and joined in the celebrations.
BCDS aims to address the erasure of black children with Down’s Syndrome, and their families, from the mainstream narrative about the condition.
Oneness Sankara, founder of T21 Alchemy, said: “We all had the experience of not seeing any representation as parents of [black] children with [Down’s syndrome].
“When we received the diagnosis and we were looking for support, we couldn’t find any because we couldn’t see any children that looked like ours.”
Just over a year later they say their biggest accomplishments include the rallying support from the global black community, the launch of ‘Reflecting Radiance’, and of course the Piccadilly Lights.
Tonye Faloughi-Ekezie, founder of Simone’s Oasis foundation, said: “The project predominantly runs in the UK, but we’re speaking to a global audience.”
She added that although there are nuances from place to place, the core message remains the same – black children and their families must be seen and heard in Down’s Syndrome discourse.
The founders believe that the visual arts are a powerful tool to tell the stories of black children with Down’s Syndrome, with this project only scratching the surface.
BCDS are working on a week-long mini fest to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day in 2026.
Featured image credit: Toyin Dawudu
Join the discussion