The Black Lives Matter calendars are a not-for-profit project of Juli McGruder, Professor Emerita, Occupational Therapy at Puget Sound, and John Leach, a photographer and retired small business owner. McGruder and Leach describe themselves as "older white adults who have been allies in civil rights struggles since our teens." In 2014, McGruder designed the first Black Lives Matter calendar as a Christmas gift for her family members; Leach completed the layout and printing of the calendar. The project met with strong community support, and McGruder and Leach decided to release the calendars annually.