Black Trans Model Jari Jones Fronts Calvin Klein 2020 Pride Campaign

Jari Jones is making history. 

The Black transgender model, actress and activist celebrated a huge accomplishment this week when she saw herself on a larger-than-life Calvin Klein billboard in Manhattan, New York as apart of the fashion brand’s 2020 Pride campaign #PROUDINMYCALVINS.

Calvin Klein’s Pride campaign features nine LGBTQ models including 13 Reasons Why actor Tommy Dorfman, artist Gia Woods, trans activist Chella Man, drag queen and singer Pabllo Vittar, and Jones, who identifies as a transqueer lesbian—just to name a few.

Taking to Instagram to share her excitement, Jones wrote, “There are moments that I heard about, that help you forget when the world told you ‘Never.’ There are these moments I heard about about that help you heal when the society has tried to beat you down, over and over again. There are these very real moments that I heard about that help you feel affirmed even when you don’t see yourself.”

The model also shared a series of photos of herself with friends in front of the billboard celebrating with a bottle of champagne. 

“I’ve been searching my whole life for those moments, I got tired of looking for those moments,” Jones continued. “So I decided to create them. Not for me but for the next dreamer, outcast, queer, trans, disabled, fat, beautiful black, piece of starlight waiting for their moment to shine.”