Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are the result of black people turning a negative into a positive, as history has demanded that the black community so often do. Before integration, black students were largely disqualified from attending institutions of higher learning or subjected to quotas to limit their admission. Thus, HBCUs were established all over the country that admitted students of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and skin colors. There are now 101 private and public HBCUs across the country that are officially recognized by the United States’ Higher Education Act (1965) — which allowed these special institutions to receive direct federal grants, including a matching program for private contributions.
In celebration of these schools and Black History Month in general, sports lifestyle brand ’47 has launched a capsule collection of hats, tees, and hooded sweatshirts honoring 12 HBCUs — Florida A&M, Hampton University, Howard University, Lincoln University, Morehouse College, Tuskegee University, NC AT&T, Grambling State University, Spelman College, Morgan State University, Bethune-Cookman University, and Clark Atlanta University. The line also features non-school specific HBCU apparel and headwear. Products come in signature ’47 styles: 47’s signature ’47 CLEAN UP, a one size fits all relaxed fit cap, ’47 CAPTAIN, a structured, flat visor cap, ’47 SUPER RIVAL Tee, and ’47 HEADLINE Hood, and each features a special logo designed by ’47 exclusively for each school.
The campaign features influencer Alexis “Lexi”Felder, a Clark Atlanta University graduate, and journalist and on-camera personality Brandon “Jinx” Jenkins. The capsule collection is available online now and in various campus bookstores, so there’s still time to celebrate Black History Month in style.
