Kohl’s has teamed up with a Black-owned print shop on a line of tees with messages such as “Together We Can Create Change,” “Enough Is Enough,” and “Black Culture is Not a Trend.” They’re available for a limited time in select stores across the country and at Kohls.com.
The retailer is also making a financial commitment to racial equality, adding in a tweet, “With this launch, Kohl’s is proud to donate $100,000 to @NatUrbanLeague which strengthens economic empowerment, equity and civil rights.”
“We’re working to offer culturally-relevant products, designs, and storytelling that are meaningful to diverse customers,” Kohl’s said in a statement to Spectrum News 1 in Milwaukee. “This is one example of T-shirt assortments Kohl’s has introduced to support the many customers and communities we serve.”
“When we celebrate diverse people, customers, and communities, including Black, Hispanic, and historically underrepresented communities, it’s not a political statement, but rather a purposeful affirmation of every individual and family we serve,” Jen Johnson, Kohl’s senior vice president of communication, added in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Cream City Print Lounge, based in Milwaukee, is a Black-owned print shop that does custom printing and “print and sip” parties. It was founded last year by Rachaad Howard, who’s been printing for 11 years and had a dream of designing for large corporations, according to WTMJ-TV.
“When I got the call I was so excited for the opportunity to provide shirts to anyone who wants to speak their mind about social injustice or social change,” Howard said to OnMilwaukee.
“We need to educate more people. We need to wake people up [about the fact] that equality is not here,” he said, as reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The entrepreneur also told Fox 6 that the death of George Floyd triggered him to want to help people express themselves and raise their voices even more. “This is how I can do more, by helping people put their message on their shirt and show it to the world.”