From Appropriation to Authenticity: What Founders Can Learn from the Ralph Lauren x HBCU Deal | I Am What an Intellectual Property Attorney Looks Like.
I read this well written piece with two voices in my head.
One was clapping. Because yeah this Ralph Lauren x HBCU partnership did a lot right. The licensing deal respected ownership. The IP stayed with the schools. Real money was tied to real student benefit. And the storytelling? It wasn’t just “for the culture”, it was by the culture, or at least checked with it before stepping out of line.
But the other voice in my head…let’s call him FD Signifier in a black tee just leaned back, raised one eyebrow, and whispered: “Be careful. This ain’t liberation. This is assimilation with better tailoring.”
Because we’ve seen this before.
Not the mechanics of the deal (which were solid), but the optics. The aesthetic. The seduction of legacy wrapped in linen. And what FD points out so sharply is that Black Excellence when defined by how close we can get to whiteness with money isn’t always progress. Sometimes it’s just prestige cosplay. Sometimes it’s just proof that the system can be cracked if you show up with enough pedigree, the right kind of smile, and a last name that already owns property on the Vineyard.
Let me be clear: I’m not knocking the students. Or the schools. Or even Ralph Lauren, surprisingly. What I’m questioning is what we do with this moment. Because if this becomes the model that being Black validation through elite institutional partnerships then we’re leaving whole communities outside the gates. Not just physically, but ideologically.
And the truth is, Black excellence is not Black liberation. FD said it, and I felt that in my chest.
The real win isn’t just brand alignment with Spelman and Morehouse. The win is when we stop needing brands at all to affirm our worth.
Until then, yeah I’ll nod at the clean photos and licensing clauses. But I’ll also keep asking who got left out the frame. Who couldn’t afford to even think about legacy IP. And why this kind of deal still feels like the exception, not the rule.
Whew. This is the kind of layered reflection we need more of, both applause and interrogation. Because yes, the deal was strong. But the question underneath it all — “who gets left out of the frame?” — that’s where the real reckoning begins.
It’s not enough to be seen in legacy brands if the price of entry still demands proximity to systems that never centered us to begin with. Black visibility isn’t the same as Black liberation, and naming that tension is where the work really starts.
Authenticity's good for Ralph Lauren's business, too.
The partnership confers positive associations onto their brand. And the 'story' that goes with it is an asset that's no doubt been expressed in countless pieces of earned media. Like this one.
Exactly. The narrative equity alone holds immense value, it’s not just about visibility, it’s about resonance. When the brand story aligns this well, the earned media becomes part of the asset.
Beautiful
Thank you!
Great work. I echo everything that others have said. Well done 👏🏾
Thank you so much!
I read this well written piece with two voices in my head.
One was clapping. Because yeah this Ralph Lauren x HBCU partnership did a lot right. The licensing deal respected ownership. The IP stayed with the schools. Real money was tied to real student benefit. And the storytelling? It wasn’t just “for the culture”, it was by the culture, or at least checked with it before stepping out of line.
But the other voice in my head…let’s call him FD Signifier in a black tee just leaned back, raised one eyebrow, and whispered: “Be careful. This ain’t liberation. This is assimilation with better tailoring.”
Because we’ve seen this before.
Not the mechanics of the deal (which were solid), but the optics. The aesthetic. The seduction of legacy wrapped in linen. And what FD points out so sharply is that Black Excellence when defined by how close we can get to whiteness with money isn’t always progress. Sometimes it’s just prestige cosplay. Sometimes it’s just proof that the system can be cracked if you show up with enough pedigree, the right kind of smile, and a last name that already owns property on the Vineyard.
Let me be clear: I’m not knocking the students. Or the schools. Or even Ralph Lauren, surprisingly. What I’m questioning is what we do with this moment. Because if this becomes the model that being Black validation through elite institutional partnerships then we’re leaving whole communities outside the gates. Not just physically, but ideologically.
And the truth is, Black excellence is not Black liberation. FD said it, and I felt that in my chest.
https://youtu.be/e96surpfOC0?si=qPqfhf-asvDIi-Uy
The real win isn’t just brand alignment with Spelman and Morehouse. The win is when we stop needing brands at all to affirm our worth.
Until then, yeah I’ll nod at the clean photos and licensing clauses. But I’ll also keep asking who got left out the frame. Who couldn’t afford to even think about legacy IP. And why this kind of deal still feels like the exception, not the rule.
Whew. This is the kind of layered reflection we need more of, both applause and interrogation. Because yes, the deal was strong. But the question underneath it all — “who gets left out of the frame?” — that’s where the real reckoning begins.
It’s not enough to be seen in legacy brands if the price of entry still demands proximity to systems that never centered us to begin with. Black visibility isn’t the same as Black liberation, and naming that tension is where the work really starts.
Great article.
Authenticity's good for Ralph Lauren's business, too.
The partnership confers positive associations onto their brand. And the 'story' that goes with it is an asset that's no doubt been expressed in countless pieces of earned media. Like this one.
That value should also be factored into any deal.
Exactly. The narrative equity alone holds immense value, it’s not just about visibility, it’s about resonance. When the brand story aligns this well, the earned media becomes part of the asset.
beautiful ✨✨
Thank you!
This is great, thanks for sharing!
Of course: :).
Thank you for sharing 😊
You’re so welcome!
Thank you! It breaks my heart to hear statements like these.
We must understand our worth... Thank you for making that clear, and providing the information of how and why.