Dèja Mays

Art Director

Atlanta, Georgia, United StatesMid-Level

Available for FreelanceOpen to New Opportunities

About

My name is De`ja Pocahontas Mays, and I am an artist , art director, and activist who has been awarded and highlighted for creative work uplifting the Black community. I was born in Memphis, TN , but ended up being mostly raised in the same area in Northern Mississippi where part of my family has been since the 1800s. As a young girl, my I.Q. was categorized as gifted, I won my first art competition at the age of six.. I participated in gifted student and art programs, which nurtured my love for history and art. This environment provided me daily opportunities to train as an artist. In my senior year of high school, after becoming valedictorian, I won a statewide art competition in Mississippi by the Secretary of the State of Mississippi called The Power of One. I also served as a community leader in my county, leading programs across five public and private schools to raise awareness among children. I also supported the team in artistic needs. I graduated as valedictorian and received almost half a million dollars in scholarship offers. I received a full scholarship to the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), where I majored in Psychology and Fine Art, with a minor in African American Studies. During my time at Ole Miss, the Black student body played a significant role in protests to remove Confederate symbols from campus. My passion for uplifting communities led me to join Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., where I was named Artistic FOUrce by my prophytes. As the Arts and Letters Chair in my chapter, I spearheaded events like an open mic night at a Black-owned cupcake shop, providing a platform for students to showcase their artistic talents, including singing, poetry, and violin performances. My artistic reputation began to grow during college, with football players (some of whom went on to the NFL) commissioning me to create drawings or tattoo designs. This exposure led to more commissions, especially for Divine Nine art pieces. My work was recognized in collegiate art competitions, with two of my pieces selected for a statewide exhibit. In my senior year, I shifted my career path from psychiatry to art direction, eventually moving to Atlanta, GA, to study at one of the top Ad schools in the world,  Miami Ad School. There, I trained under leading industry creatives, winning student competitions and being interviewed for  a Cannes Lions Creativity Panel. After completing internships at BBDO and VMLY&R, I began freelancing. My first project involved illustrating and art-directing a campaign for Smart Women, a brand promoting women’s voices in voting. My designs were sold in stores, the Susan B. Anthony Museum and the Girl Scouts Museum. I went on to work at Golin, creating PR campaigns for brands like McDonald’s and Jose Cuervo, before joining a global experiential agency on the New York team. While working on accounts like Walmart, Coca-Cola, Sprite, Prada, and Disney, I made significant contributions to culturally impactful projects. One of my proudest moments was concepting and designing parts of  the Coca-Cola Refresh Garden for the Delta Sigma Theta National Convention. It was inspired by no matter where a Delta crossed, her roots remain the same. The garden symbolized unity and heritage, featuring a “Give Her Flowers” initiative that allowed sorors to virtually include themselves in the display. This project even brought comfort to a soror’s family after her passing, as her image was included in the garden.  I have also worked professionally on campaigns such as Wakanda Forever x Sprite Zero where we brought a Black Panther experience to HBCU students in Atlanta , GA. Another notable project was Disney’s Disney on the Yard, which celebrated HBCUs by highlighting their alumni within Disney and promoting job opportunities. I served as the lead art director, ensuring every detail aligned with the HBCU experience. These projects deeply resonated with me, in the early 1900s my great grand uncle was on the board of an HBCU in Memphis, TN. As a content creator, I’ve also used my platform to uplift Black creativity and culture. My work on culturally significant campaigns  and content at times has reached millions earning media attention. In 2024, I co-founded The Come Up, an event series connecting Black creatives over brunch and dinner, using mostly Black-owned vendors . The event was in partnership with The One Club’s Where Are All the Black People. This initiative drew over 140 attendees, including prominent industry figures, and was featured in Black Enterprise. Throughout my career, I’ve aimed to use my creative gifts to serve my community, bring about social change, and uplift others. I’ve also ventured into NFTs, creating a collection called Women of Value. Inspired by Harriet Tubman’s unfulfilled placement on the $20 bill, I designed the 24 Harriet Coin, symbolizing the immense value of women’s contributions throughout history. Even though I am proud of my culture, I try to find ways to learn from people who are different from me. Whether that was attempting to learn Arabic and Spanish in college, joining the Vietnamese Student Union, or just enjoying different culture’s food and music. I hope to be a person that inspires all of us to come together. We are more alike than we are different.

Brands

Coca-Cola

FedEx

Norwegian Cruise Line

Southern Company

Facebook

Frito Lay