Cobb County

Metro Atlanta photographer hopes sweet photos of kids can open up conversations about race

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A Powder Springs photographer is out to prove kids are helping open conversations about race in America.

“I say, ‘Be kind, love and unite,’” said Liz Williams, owner of Liz By Design Photography. “We definitely need to learn from our children.

Williams told Channel 2′s Chris Jose that negativity in daily news headlines compelled her to act. Williams said love and compassion outweighs the negative.

“I woke up one morning and I was like, ‘I got to do this session. It was just placed on my heart that I needed to do this,” said Williams.

Williams put out a message on her Facebook page and got back hundreds of responses. She chose a diverse group of families to participate in a June photoshoot in Cobb County.

Children from different backgrounds loved, played and laughed. The youngest participant is 2-years old, the oldest is 10.

“I just really hope that when these kids get older, if they ever lose their way, or find hatred in their heart, they can look back at these pictures, and just remember who they were at that time,” Williams said. “In the a blink of an eye they’re going to be adults, and they’re going to the ones running this world.”

Williams hopes the kids can look back and remember who they were at this time in history. She also said it's a reminder to parents.

“You just have to make sure they know not to look at someone and judge them based on what they look like,” Williams said. “Get to know them and know their heart.”

Williams said the response to the photos has been overwhelming.

"Some people said they have gotten chills. They've gotten tears," Williams said of the photos. "And it's for good reason. It's a little bit of light in a lot of darkness right now. They're just so pure and innocent and sweet."

Williams worked with a black-owned business to produce the “Be Kind” T-shirts the kids wore during the shoot.