A Chicago Jeep owner in front of the Pullman Porter’s mural on the South Side (Photo courtesy of Melanated in Motion).
Melanated in Motion, a national photo and storytelling campaign for Juneteenth by Melanin Edition®, is putting Black mobility, history and pride in the driver’s seat.
Launched by Mariama Davis, founder of the first Black woman-owned brand licensed to produce Jeep® apparel, the campaign highlights Black Jeep owners photographed at historically significant Black landmarks across the country.
From the streets of Detroit to the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, Melanated in Motion is more than a photo series — it’s a cultural statement. The campaign honors how Black communities have moved — physically, politically, and emotionally — through spaces that shaped American history.
All participants are photographed in Melanated Jeep® apparel, with a focus on the Jeep Wave United T-shirt — a powerful symbol of unity and cultural pride. The shirts feature bold red, black, green, and gold designs that reflect Pan-African colors, each representing strength, resilience, connection to the land, and excellence. The signature design blends the iconic Jeep wave hand gesture with colorways that speak to identity, liberation, and legacy — making every image not only a tribute to place but also a wearable declaration of purpose.
Featured Stops in the Campaign Include:
- Detroit, MI – Black Bottom, Paradise Valley & Historic Murals
- Watts Towers, MLK Monument & Obama Mural – Los Angeles, CA
- Woolworth Sit-In Monument – Greensboro, NC
- Pullman National Monument – Chicago, IL
- Lorraine Motel Replica – Chicago, IL
- Selma, AL – Edmund Pettus Bridge, Highway Signs & Murals
- Junaluska Community – Boone, NC
Each location features Black Jeep owners who embody a spirit of remembrance, pride and forward movement — positioned in front of historic backdrops and dressed in the coordinated apparel that brings the story full circle.
“This campaign is about more than just Jeep vehicles,” says Davis. “It’s about motion — how we’ve moved through struggle and celebration. And the apparel reflects that movement. The Jeep Wave United shirt is about shared respect, shared culture and our shared road forward.”
A Chicago Jeep owner in front of the Lorraine Hansberry House (Photo courtesy of Melanated in Motion).
Accompanying the campaign is a short film featuring Jeep owners visiting landmarks in Watts and Detroit, paying homage to the power of presence, heritage and motion in Black spaces.
The Melanated in Motion campaign continues to grow, with new stops being added and more stories being shared. It’s a visual archive — on wheels — that reminds the world our history doesn’t sit still.
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