Sorority celebrates black beauty with viral #MelaninIllustrated photoshoot

You may be familiar with Sports Illustrated but what about Melanin Illustrated? If not, a group of sorority sisters are familiarizing the masses with their viral photoshoot dedicated to black beauty.

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The ladies of the Beta Alpha chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. headed to Costa Rica recently to celebrate their 10th year anniversary, but they also wanted to pay tribute to black beauty.

"Black women are often overlooked in beauty," LaToya Owens told Yahoo. "This was our way to shine a light on all types of black beauty."

To do so, the women, ages 29 to 35, coordinated their look by wearing nude-colored swimsuits for a beach shoot that has taken the internet by storm.

With the hashtags #MelaninIllustrated and #TITEtakescostarica, the Florida A&M University alums have been posting their images on social media, garnering thousands of views.

“Our sorority is all about black excellence,” Owens said. “We want to serve as an example and show appreciation of black women. Our commitment is to scholarship and service, and this was to honor the sisterhood.”

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Take a look at some of the pics below.