Cultural Profit vs. Community Benefit in HBCU Apparel
Walk across any HBCU campus and you’ll find students proudly sporting sweatshirts and tees carrying their schools’ names. Seeing the next generation proudly wear apparel from their HBCUs fills me with admiration for the enduring spirit of our institutions.
But we must ask: beyond the fabric, what story does this HBCU apparel tell? Who truly benefits from these booming sales?
Currently, large corporations and retailers soak up profits, while mere crumbs reach the campuses and communities fueling this demand. Manufacturing happens abroad, divorced from the culture these clothes represent.
Overcoming Industry Barriers for HBCU Fashion Entrepreneurs
Students dreaming of launching their own apparel ventures face barriers to entry at every turn. And products touting heritage fail to honor the legacy in practice.
This disconnect spurred me to start Heritage Hill with the mission of creating an ethical, community-owned HBCU apparel supply chain. One upholding our institutions’ values, not undermining them.
Fostering HBCU Talent: Entrepreneurship Education on Campus
It begins by bridging gaps between communities, classrooms, and careers. Partnering with HBCUs to offer apparel entrepreneurship programs right on campus. Not just teaching design skills, but business acumen to bring visions to life.
Empowering HBCUs Through Local Manufacturing and Employment
It continues by building state-of-the-art production facilities near these schools, creating jobs while enabling quality control. HBCU artisans and suppliers get priority, keeping revenue circulating locally.
From Classroom to Marketplace: HBCU Students’ Fashion Ventures
And it comes full circle with student ventures launching collections through a streamlined process. Leveraging school partnerships for ready-made distribution while collecting invaluable real-world experience.
Visionary HBCU Apparel: Cultivating Heritage and Opportunity
Imagine an HBCU student designing a Morehouse Homecoming tee, produced by a Black-owned shop in Atlanta, sold at pop-ups on campus, with profits funding scholarships and incubator expansion.
This is the future we must manifest. One where community and opportunity intertwine like the stitches of a garment. Where we don’t just wear our heritage with pride, but actively reshape industries to honor it.
We have made strides, but now is the time to flip the script. To transform systems from the inside out. To prove that empowerment doesn’t end at representation - it begins anew by redefining what’s possible.