It’s February and we all know what that means. It’s the second month of the year, some even consider it to be the “month of love” because of Valentine’s Day, but most importantly it is Black History Month. February is the national acknowledgment of the achievements by African Americans throughout the history of this country. Black History Month originated as “Negro History Week” and was created by historian and author Carter G Woodson in 1926. Since 1976, every US President has recognized February as Black History Month.
Although most people like to talk about the accomplishments of the past, Black History Month is also about celebrating the people making history today. African Americans take pride in Black History Month and use this as a time to heavily promote and support Black-owned businesses. We are going to shoutout 5 businesses that are taking the generation by storm while having a major focus on #BlackExcellence.
The Carter Brand
This line was created in 2016 and immediately hit the ground running. This brand likes to blend fashion with self-expression, culture and current events. You can get everything from bomber jackets and hoodies to patches and hats from this brand. Their clothing features caricatures of historic icons like Malcolm X and The Black Panthers to more current icons like Lauryn Hill and Nipsey Hussle. Some of their tees and hoodies include some of the popular phrases coined by this generation like “Stay Woke” and “Rooting For Everybody Black”
IG: @thecarterbrand_
HGC Apparel
This Black-owned business has made the phrase “Black By Popular Demand” extremely hot! Howard University alum Marcia Smith created the brand in 2011 to celebrate Black culture and portray a sense of self-love, self-awareness and confidence within the Black community. Celebrities and social media influencers have helped this brand take over Instagram with several viral designs. “Love Protect Respect The Black Woman” and “Black Love Made Me” are some of the trademarked slogans on that have helped this streetwear brand sellout popup shops at major events such as Essence Fest.
IG: @HGCapparel
AACA
African American College Alliance is the oldest brand on this list. Created in 1991, AACA made appearances in some of the most popular sitcoms of the 90s like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Martin and Living Single. This line consists of sweatsuits and t-shirts with the names of historically Black colleges and universities on them. You can rep or school or just shoutout your local HBCU on your shirt.
IG: @aacaclothing
Support Black Colleges
Yet another brand supporting HBCUs. This line is straight to the point. All of the clothing has the phrase “Support Black Colleges” on it. You can get it on a crop top, t-shirt, sweatsuit or even a poster. This line has a very big 90s vibe with the cross colors, nylon, and huge prints. You don’t have to be a student at an HBCU to support this cause.