As a fashion company, we were mesmerized by the assortment of garments chosen for the music. Each song had its own theme and therefore its own special style of clothing. We chose some of our favorite pieces from the film and imagined how some of our pieces would fit  

The Carter team is a big mood on the track “Mood 4 Eva”. Since they first started featuring on each other’s tracks, the duo has risen to the music industry’s favorite couple. In this track Jay-Z sports a few stylish suits and tux. He’s truly embracing the lifestyle and dressing the part.  

Create a similar feeling with our regal Rammy blazer in burgundy/gold/black. Our African print blazer will have you walking around feeling like an African king. The comfortable blazer elevates any look and gives the same vibe as “Mood 4 Eva” 

The choreography in “Already” is excellent and features some amazing African-inspired dance moves. Beyonce rocks several styles that show off her curves while also showing her as a powerful woman. One of our favorites is the blazer bodysuit by Loza Maléombho. It reminds us of our powerful statement blazer from our Black History Month Collection. Our black gold mudcloth blazer is bold and beautiful. The comfortable stretch woven material makes it a favorite amongst our customers. 

In the fun song, “Water” there is a slew of gorgeous looks that Beyonce rocks. In one scene Beyonce is wearing a dress designed by Mary Katrantzou. This exciting dress features many ruffles and a dreamy mashup of colors. Our Sikudani dress is similarly a pleasing dress with vivid colors. Our dress also features ruffles adding to the overall appearance of the dress. Rock this out anywhere and feel like Beyonce.  

“Brown Skin Girl” is a beautiful song that the world desperately needed. This anthem to melanin beauty uplifts women around the world. Our Jaida and Dia shirts fit into this theme perfectly. They both feature the words, “Brown Skin Girl” and the shirt itself was designed to empower and uplift women in our community. Let your clothes speak for yourself by wearing this fashionable t-shirt that tells everyone exactly what you think.  

Also, in the “Brown Skin Girl” video, Beyonce rocked a gorgeous black and white pattern dress while belting out the lyrics to her song. The dress looks amazing on her and the white background allows the dress to really pop. Our own Afua dress in the black gold mudcloth print is just as beautiful. The dress features a unique high-low cut with an addition of an off-the-shoulder sleeve. 

Beyonce’s gospel-pop song “Spirit” is an uplifting track meant to make listeners want to pursue their own destiny. There are many obvious references to The Lion King in the song, but it’s not just a cookie-cutter Disney song. Beyonce uses her voice to add meaning and depth to the lyrics and ultimately it translates well. Her choice of clothing helps to further the meaning.  

The gold color of her ensemble looks amazing with her skin tone and gives off a warm and inviting feel. We have a similar outfit that will you have you feeling just like Beyonce. Our Cyrah skirt in the gold blue flowers print has a slit for ladies to pop out their leg. We also have a matching crop top to complete the whole look! 

If you're feeling empowered, as we are from this movie, take a look at the rest of our looks that will have you shining as bright as Beyonce. Shop more looks here!

The beauty pageant world was shook when Nia Franklin was first crowned Miss America 2019. Her win marked the beginning of a groundbreaking year for black women. In the months that followed, Kaliegh Garris won Miss Teen USA in April, Cheslie Kryst won Miss USA in May, followed by Zozibini Tunzi of South Africa and Toni-Ann Singh of Jamaica who were crowned Miss Universe and Miss World later in the year.

Their wins showed how pageants have evolved from typically only celebrating features associated with white women to more inclusive beauty standards. This change is momentous because for the first time in history black women are being celebrated for their features. These five women are showing the world that all women are beautiful and that all features can be celebrated.

As we begin our celebrations of Black History Month, we at spfraidersoccercamp would like to kick-off the month of February by discussing the origins of kente cloth. Kente today is seen as a staple cloth in African print fashion and used to express one’s roots. We have many clothes offered on our site that utilize kente print in a way that is meant to be empowering while fashionable.

Kente cloth is native to the Akan ethnic group from Ghana. This vibrant cloth rose in popularity when the Asante Empire decided that only royals could wear kente. The use of the print was limited to social and special occasions. The word kente means “basket” in the Akan language. It is produced from a technique called strip weaving, which has existed in West Africa since the 11th century.

A legend told by the Asante people is that two men learned the art of weaving from a spider. They observed a spider named Ananse, weave unique designs. For a few favors, the spider taught the men how to weave designs with a single thread. They used this technique to create kente cloth.

In our Black History Month Collection, we have several pieces that include kente print. Each color in kente print has a special meaning to it. The meanings of the colors are what sets the kente apart from regular clothing and give it a deeper purpose.

For women, we have a Nyah Skirt and a Bahati Dress that are fabricated with gold and red kente. Gold is the symbol of royalty, wealth and spiritual purity, and red symbolizes the blood of our ancestors. These two powerful colors are telling an incredible story. 

 

We also offer a Bomani Long Sleeve Shirt with a gold and red kente color block. This fashionable shirt for men is the perfect way to express pride for your heritage and history while looking dope. Let your clothes do the talking for Black History Month by incorporating some kente looks into your wardrobe.

Today, the cloth has entered modern African print fashion and instills a feeling of empowerment in all who wear it. We will continue to produce clothing that includes kente print and we will always remember the history behind this bold and vibrant cloth.

Check out our African Kente Prints and more in the spfraidersoccercamp Black History Month Collection!

Men

Women

Representation in the history books is still less than perfect. In Texas, slavery as the central factor to the Civil War is just now being taught to public school students.

What do you do about a lack of representation? REPRESENT. Be there, be you; a representative of  a diverse and varied diaspora of people, this month and every month!

 Photo Credit: Julian Howard

Style

The high fashion looks sported by classics like Naomi and Tyra down to today's girls like Jourdan Dunn and Adwoa Aboah, and of course the range of African inspired pieces available from spfraidersoccercamp are all examples of the heavy influence on fashion and style either birthed and incubated or made major by the culture.

Style allows us to say so much without speaking a word, and from the hoop earrings and red lipstick Afro-Latina Congresswoman Andrea Ocasio wore to be sworn in, to the renaissance of natural hair and hairstyles that has been sweeping the globe over the past three years or so, we’re understanding this power more than ever.

Maybe cornrows are a radical act in the spaces you occupy. Maybe walking into your ballroom function, a dream of regality in our Cyrah African Print Maxi, will spark something inside of you while sparking conversation around the room. Whatever the case, don't fade into the background this month, style has always been a mode of expression and in some cases, resistance (read about the Tignon law if you don't know what it is).

Continue the tradition this Black History Month.

Education

This month, put writers like the Ta Nehisi Coates on your reading list. We recommend starting with Between the World and Me, where the correspondent, educator writer etc., let’s us in on the conversations he’d like to have with his child, framed by his (Coates’) childhood as Black boy in DC, and eventually a Black man at Howard University; learning and critiquing, and seeking to change, through discourse, this country of ours.

Photo Credit: Thought Catalogue

When you think about the African American literary canon (if you think of it at all, and it’s time to start if you haven’t) writers like Toni Morrison and Zora Neale Hurston, Baldwin or even Hansberry, may come to mind first. There are all sorts of merits to reading those, but our contemporary voices pull from the lessons of history to frame the now in a way that those from the past cannot. Authors like Coates, and literary ventures from figures like Michelle Obama, should be a part of the educational content we’re intentionally taking in and seeing ourselves and worlds through.

Travel

Alone or with a group like Travel Noire, a publishing space that offers resources like group trips to the “unconventional” traveller, making your world a little bigger this month is an amazing way to represent.

No matter where you go, it’s the getting there that matters. Whether you’re heading to Miami, Mexico, or Morocco, soak it in. Eat the food, dance to the music, shop with the locals, and share a little bit of who you are whenever you get the chance.

Entertainment

Movies like Beale Street, the film version of the James Baldwin book that’s getting major buzz, are continuing to prove the relevance and necessity of entertainment and art that comes from black creators, centers black artists, and considers black audiences. See something from a black filmmaker this month. Be a black filmmaker (or song writer, or illustrator, or designer) this month. Leave a mark.

Photo Credit: Action Vance

Art

Spaces like Chicago’s Stony Island Arts Bank, which does the job of creating intentional place around an abandoned space in one of the more disenfranchised and majority Black areas of the city by bringing a constantly rotating art gallery, archived media gallery, library, and community centered programming, is one of many spaces using art as a way to enrich the culture. Seek out places like Stony Island Arts Bank, headed up by Theaster Gates - possibly the most important Black artist today, or the Barnes Foundation, which displays African art like traditional masks from Liberia and Ivory Coast alongside the works of European artists such as Picasso and Modigliani, both influenced by what Founder, Dr. Albert Barnes called “the purest expression of three-dimensional form” in the 1920s.

Say it loud, “I’m Black and I’m proud” in our "For the Culture" Graphics Tees made especially for the culturally confident spfraidersoccercamp customer. The expression is a proclamation for self love, “rooting for everyone black”, and progression for the black community. Sport the look for a Black History Month event with a pair of denim jeans or black pants.

You'll steal the spotlight with our Kofi Men's and Remi Women’s African Print Bomber Jacket. Ideal to enhance any casual ensemble, rock the stylish look for a unique take on urban attire. For the ladies, don’t be afraid to sport it with heels and black jeans to achieve a chic look. Men, wear the jacket with black pants and loafers for a more refined style.

Are you a fashion-forward enthusiast? This may be the tunic for you! Introducing our new edgy Zulu Asymmetric Tunic! Pair it with our stretch woven Safina Fitted High-waisted Pants to complete the look.This is the perfect ensemble for the woman on the go. Sport the full two-piece look and then swap the top or pants to experience its versatility!

The Jaheem (left)  and Sadik (right) African Print Short Sleeve Tee enhance your casual wear, creating a more sophisticated ensemble for the refined gentleman. The versatile tee is suitable for any occasion. As a transitional piece, sport the tee with a pair of jeans or dress pants. Take advantage of this multipurpose piece, as it is what your wardrobe's been missing! Rep your roots in this multipurpose style, this Black History Month!

Our Asabi Women's African Print Layer Bangle Bracelet  is essential for enhance any solid colored ensemble. Pair it with its matching Bisa Necklace to fulfill what your jewelry collection has been missing! Rock it with your choice of t-shirt or knit top for any casual occasion!

Our new necktie and bowtie pocket square sets are sure to bring African print flare to your suit jacket! Perfect for your upcoming Black History Month events and the workplace, our prints are appealing and will be sure to catch everyone's eye. Complete your suit with a stylish pop up African pride!

The US is ranked as the most powerful country in the world. That ranking did not happen by accident. It is the rebellious spirit of our forefathers, the ingenuity of great thinkers, inventors, businesspeople, innovators and hard workers that helped make it great.

Here is a list of ten developments that would not be possible without black American thinkers, innovators and physical laborers.

Agriculture

Born a free man in 1807, Henry Blair was the second African American to be issued a United States patent. Despite being illiterate and uneducated, he was a successful farmer who patented two inventions: a corn planter and a cotton planter. Both of his inventions greatly increased efficiency on the farm by limiting labor and time.

Labor

Black slaves literally built, with their hands, the White House; Monticello; early Wall Street; Chapel Hill buildings; and pretty much any other notable structure in the South or the Eastern Seaboard before 1861.

Inoculation

Onesimus, an African slave, was a gift to the Puritan church minister Cotton Mather from his congregation in 1706. Onesimus told Mather about the centuries old tradition of inoculation practiced in Africa. By extracting the material from an infected person and scratching it into the skin of an uninfected person, you could deliberately introduce smallpox to the healthy individual making them immune.

Onesimus’ traditional African practice was used to inoculate American soldiers during the Revolutionary War and introduced the concept of inoculation to the United States. 

Black Cowboys

Cowboys played an important role in the settling of the west. Ranching was a big industry and cowboys helped to run the ranches. They herded cattle, repaired fences and buildings, and took care of the horses.

Probably no one realizes this, but one in four cowboys was black, despite the stories told in popular books and movies. In fact, it's believed that the real “Lone Ranger” was inspired by an African American man named Bass Reeves. Reeves was a master of disguise, an expert marksman, had a Native American companion, and rode a silver horse.

Fighting in the Civil War

The movie “Glory, ” starring Denzel Washington shed light on all the underappreciated heroes of the first black company fighting in the American Civil War. These soldiers were forced to deal with the prejudices of both the enemy (who had orders to kill commanding officers of blacks), and of their own fellow officers. 

Black veterans remain disenfranchised and underappreciated today. For more on how to reach out to make a difference see our Veteran’s Day blog post.

Scientific research

If you have not read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, get yourself over to Barnes and Noble (if you can find one!) or add this right now to your Audible cue. This black American woman, an unknowing donor, had cells removed from her during a hospital stay that would revolutionize medicine. 

The story of Henrietta and her family is totally amazing—they have impacted science and anyone who works or benefits from the use of cellular research. That means just about every single person is connected to Henrietta in one way or another.

Marching On Selma

Fifty years ago, Martin Luther King, Jr., led hundreds of Americans on a march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. In the fight to secure voting rights for African Americans and other minorities across the country, the peaceful march was met with brutal violence.

Eventually, the march went on unimpeded -- and the echoes of its significance reverberated so loudly in Washington, D.C., that Congress passed the historic Voting Rights Act.

Tuskegee Airmen

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first black military aviators in the U.S. Army Air Corps (AAC). Their impressive performance in WWII earned them more than 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, and helped encourage the eventual integration of the U.S. armed forces.

Oprah Winfrey’s Empire

Oprah came from impoverished roots in Mississippi to eventually become an entrepreneur, entertainer and philanthropist worth 2.7 billion dollars.

With her iconic TV show and films such as The Color Purple, Oprah has changed perceptions of African Americans, and inspired millions as a force to be reckoned with, and a role model for people of color who come from poverty and dream of making something of their life. 

The legacy of Barack and Michelle Obama

When Barak and Michelle Obama walked into the White House in January, 2009 it was a miraculous moment in time for black Americans. The legacy that Barack and Michelle left includes a reformed healthcare system, and passing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that jolted life back into an economy on the brink of failure.

It is inspiring that more films like Hidden Figures and Seven Years a Slave are being made. These films are not always easy to watch, but as Cornel West has said, “You must let suffering speak, if you want to hear the truth.”

Hopefully the generations coming up will have a more inclusive understanding of all those that came before them to see that people of every race, shape and color came together to make this country the force that it is today.

Growing up in the American school system, I was taught American history which conveniently neglected black Americans. Aside from the “honorable” mention of blacks during slavery, American history did not include the contributions of black Americans who helped shape the America we all know today. If it were not for Black History month, the achievements of black leaders, writes, artists, and inventors would be overlooked. We may not have known of the gifted literary writer Langston Hughes, the great educator Booker T Washington, the brave humanitarian, Harriet Tubman, the brilliant orator and statesman Frederick Douglass, the self-made millionaire entrepreneur Madam C.J Walker, the first traffic light inventor, Garrett Morgan, and many others.

Paying tribute to these great black figures is an important aspect of black history month as well. We must never forget or take for granted the incredible role these leaders played so we may enjoy the opportunities currently available to us today. These opportunities include the freedom to vote, attend any college, purchase a home, run for political office, open a business, and ultimately partake in the American dream. Granted, there are still improvements to be made, but we can acknowledge the progress already achieved.

Celebrating our heritage while reconnecting to our African roots is another key part of Black History month. We should take the time to learn more about our roots and culture so we have a better sense of identity. One of the ways we can celebrate is by expressing ourselves through clothing. The spfraidersoccercamp clothing line was born out of the desire to create modern African inspired fashion that could be worn daily for those seeking to express themselves in a unique way.

In spite of Stacy Dash’s ignorant comment, Black History month should NOT be canceled- clearly! We will continue celebrating and acknowledging our amazing leaders that paved the way for us. To these men and women and many more whose name may never get public applause, we say thank you!

What are your thoughts? Leave your comment below and share this on Facebook and Twitter if you agree that Black History Month is important!