Legendary brand REEBOK continues to invest in the community. After teaming up with PATTA to reinterpret the Club C silhouette, the sportswear brand honors the Divine Nine with its new apparel collection ‘Yard Love’.
The Divine Nine, also officially known as the National Panhellenic Council (NPHC), is a council made up of 9 historically black sororities and fraternities. The National Panhellenic Council was officially established at Howard University on May 10, 1930 in Washington, D.C. However, it all started with the founding of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity in 1906 by 7 students at Cornell University. These young people wanted to create an organization to combat their isolation at a predominantly white Ivy League university. They also used their resources to fight against unjust Jim Crow laws and customs, and helped mobilize large-scale voter registration movements, as well as motivated young people to stay in school. In the 1960s, NPHC groups became key supporters of civil rights organizations, advocating for racial integration and racial equality in the United States.
Yard Love is part of REEBOK’s increased commitment to diversity and inclusion, both internally and externally. The capsule consists of hoodies and t-shirts honoring historically black organizations. These pieces come in 7 color combinations used by the Divine Nine. They honor the organizations for uplifting the black community and being a source of support for its students since the early 20th century.
John Moore, Reebok’s executive vice president of commercial sales in the U.S. said of this special capsule : « This collection will help highlight the important efforts of historically black fraternities and sororities. As a black greek organization, we believe in the power of human achievement and are committed to justice and equality for all. »
Portia Blunt, Vice President of Apparel at Reebok, continued : « The new apparel line was a labor of love for many of the company’s employees who are also members of Divine Nine. The team members who worked on this capsule have made lifelong commitments to their respective organizations, and it’s unique to have a creative space to bring a part of your culture to life to celebrate and honor through the product. The team of employees who created Yard Love were able to highlight and tell their personal stories, so that their peers, who may not have known about the historical black greek organizations, can now speak to them with an authentic level of understanding. »
The Reebok Yard Love collection is now available at select retailers and on reebok.com. Hoodies are priced at $65 and t-shirts are $25. Reebok has also pledged a minimum donation of $25,000 to the United Negro College Fund. Let’s go !
