Happy Juneteenth! This year we’re honoring America’s Freedom Day by featuring some of our favorite black owned Spreadshops and their creative and inspiring merch.
Juneteenth is a holiday which celebrates the emancipation of the last remaining enslaved people in the United States. While many are taught that slaves in America were freed by Abe Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation on in 1863, slavery was still legal and practiced in some states until 3 years later, when the Civil War had officially ended. On June 19, 1865, troops arrived in Galveston, Texas and announced that ALL slaves in America were free from that day forward by executive decree.
Juneteenth is also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, the second independence day, and more! It is known to be the longest-running African American holiday and is celebrated in many ways- from festivals and picnics to historical reenactments and pageants. The holiday is a reminder to never give up hope and inspires us to learn black history, listen to black stories, and celebrate black achievements and strength.
In honor of Juneteenth, we encourage you to support black owned business. Consider some merch that celebrates and honors the black American experience from the Shops below!
Afrinubi
Afrinubi is an afrocentric and LGBTQ+ themed clothing store founded in Atlanta, GA in 2017.
They offer African inspired apparel and accessories for men, women, kids, and even infants.
Afrinubi has an extensive selection of designs that celebrate every facet of African and LGBTQ+ culture. Celebrate their shop this June with merch that is not only timely, but stylish.
They sell merch that celebrates LGBTQ+ Pride, and merch that celebrates black pride.
Afrinubi advocates for racial equality and justice with Black Lives Matter merch.
With merch that feels incredibly relevant to Juneteenth, their I Am Black History options carry important significance.
Afrinubi perfectly merges style and sentiment, incorporating these impactful statements with African color schemes and imagery.
Founder Stephanie advocates for equal representation and empowerment, which is what you’ll feel when you wear her designs.
She’s created her own community with Afrinubi that is the perfect extension for her overall message of compassion. When you wear her merch, you’ll feel like a self-assured individual, but you’ll also feel like you’re a part of a community that is rooted in love and acceptance.
We The Brand
Another shop that celebrates being your true self, We The Brand stands for “being who you want to be, chasing your dreams, and following your own wave.”
We The Brand honors the power and strength of the ancestors: they were the real kings and queens. You can see the inspiration from this in their logo, which features their shop name and a crown graphic. The design looks especially regal on headwear, like this snapback baseball cap.
The crown is also referenced on other merch options in their shop, such as this tank top that features the profile of a woman with a gorgeous afro…Or this t-shirt, with the profile of a man with a loc ponytail. Both are adorned with crowns!
We The Brand honors the ancestors by depicting them as modern day African American men and women. These people embrace their natural hair and honor their roots by continuing to carry the crown.
There are also references to Africa within the shop, celebrating pride for the continent with t-shirts, hoodies, and mugs.
We The Brand wants to encourage people to follow their dreams and live their best life. Celebrating African American culture every day and on Juneteenth is the catalyst for those great things to come.
Lilian Okibe
Lilian Okibe is a beauty/lifestyle Youtuber and natural hair advocate.
Okibe shows all the beautiful ways you can style and care for your natural hair. She serves #4chair inspiration; 4C hair is a hair type that is tightly textured and curled.
Okibe fights against the stigma that natural hair is something to be controlled or ashamed of. She’s been wearing her hair natural for five years now and regularly uploads hair tutorials and tips on her Youtube channel.
Her channel is the go-to destination for everything natural hair related. Okibe tries out different hairstyles, products, and offers real-life and honest insight into how to care for your natural hair.
Her merch reflects the same natural hair messages she shares on Youtube and on her socials and is referential for those who are a part of the natural hair community.
Lilian also has a video on her channel that gives style tips on how to wear her merch. In the video, Okibe shows you how to optimize graphic tees in your wardrobe and dress them up by wearing bodycon skirts and printed pants. This graphic t-shirt makes for the perfect example. Her Shrinkage is a Vibe hoodie is also a staple piece that captures that athleisure vibe and looks incredible in bold colors like blue and purple.
A natural hair image with the text “If your hair refuses to fall, LET IT STAND!” speaks for itself in eye-catching fashion. All you have to do is pick the color that best suits your style.
Okibe even has merch with her own likeness. This graphic tee has an image of her with her natural hair styled uniquely.
Check out her channel to learn how to embrace your natural hair and wear some merch that supports that powerful message especially for Juneteenth.
Black Royal Wear
Black Royal Wear is a family-owned business that celebrates black royalty and African traditions.
Their goal is to remind society that black men and women are kings and queens, and they also donate 10 percent of profits to social justice groups that fight for equality.
The family team of Martello Pollack, Marty Pollack, and King Carlin launched their shop earlier this year, but the inspiration for Black Royal Wear began 30 years ago when Martello had the idea to create black inspired playing cards in the early 90s.
The family sold the cards at expos and were even featured in Ebony Magazine which led to heightened demand for the cards. When Spike Lee caught wind of the business, he decided to sell the cards in his New York storefront and even featured them in a scene in one of his films.
The card designs featured on merch in the Black Royal Wear shop are inspired by those original cards.
The Pollack family wanted to find a way to modernize the look and feel of the cards for today, so merch seemed like the best option to relate to a younger crowd and show them different forms of representation.
You can find the Queen of Spade and King of Clubs designs on t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, hoodies, and toddler clothing in their shop. They also have merch available with their BRW crown logo.
Black Royal Wear makes clothing for the whole family, while carrying tradition into the modern world.
A Crown On Me
A Crown on Me is another merch shop dedicated to celebrating black kings and queens – in case you couldn’t already tell from their fitting brand name.
Their designs not only feel royal, but also dynamic thanks to big, bold fonts and crown iconography.
This men’s graphic tee is a classic streetwear staple that never goes out of style. Buy one in every color to create a cool and cohesive wardrobe.
The women’s t-shirt option features a sparkly diamond encrusted crown that fits in with the delicate and beautiful font that says “A Crown On Me!”.
The cropped t-shirt is a perfect choice for summer: comfortable and breezy.
Items like bucket hats, tote bags, and backpacks are other must-have summer pieces.
A Crown On Me is all about showcasing the true royalty of the black community: everyone is a king or a queen! And although their merch is direct in its message, A Crown On Me gives effortless vibes in the way it’s designed and stylized.
While we’re taking this Juneteenth to celebrate and highlight some of our favorite black-owned shops, we should be supporting (and wearing) their merch all-year round.
Be sure to check out their merch and start your own Spreadshop today to celebrate your culture and get your powerfully designed message out into the world!
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