The lovely thing about an HBCU campus is the plethora of creativity, and innovation. Almost
everyone you meet is “doing something”, or has plans to do so. Whether it be in the sector of music, fashion, cooking, or visual art, everybody has a gift they want to share.
Upon arriving on campus I learned of two students that were actively working on their gifts.
Representing the next generation of black fashion, Matthew Neree (founder and CEO of Ghetto Scholars) as well as Micah Murray (founder and CEO of Crestfallen) share a passion for
purposeful design. As I sat down with the two to discuss their companies, I learned of the
intentionally, and artist that lies behind both their brands.
Ghetto Scholars
Matthew Joseph Neree is a Kinesiology major, from Long Island, NY. Therefore it comes as a
surprise to many that he is a successful business owner on Hamptons Campus. His brand, Ghetto Scholars, is primarily known for the hats, and beanies that litter the heads of Hampton students.
However, there is far more to this brand than meets the eye. Neree states the motto of his
company is “it’s deeper than a name”. Ultimately, his goal is to show that no matter what your origin story, we all can be scholars.
Neree explained that Ghetto Scholars began as a music group composed by his brothers, and his friends. Throughout his preteen years, Neree looked up to this group, and. As time went on, however, Neree recalls the group naturally fell apart, and a close friend and member–Giovanni–passed away. Therefore, going into his 11th grade year of highschool Neree created the Ghetto Scholars brand to honor him.
Within all of Neree’s endeavors with Ghettos Scholars, he seeks to give back. He has collaborated with his local MLK center to do annual thanksgiving drives, and help with their enrichment program. He also did an HBCU business scholarship last year. He states “I just like to give back and use my platform more than just like this is a regular clothing brand” he says “it’s more like a lifestyle…You wear it with an actual purpose.”
He notes the large impact that Hampton has had on the development of his brand. He established himself, and his company his sophomore year, and was able to gain traction after a photoshoot. After this, he recalls that things began to move fast. Though, all in all he mentions Hamptons “community-based type of vibe… if you have something good with a good purpose the school is going to support you no matter what”.
Once he leaves Hampton, he wants to grow his brand throughout the country. He is hopeful to own a warehouse where he can both design, and manufacture his product.
When asked what his ultimate hope for his business is he expresses the impact he wants to make on those from underprivileged communities. Neree explains the negative connotation that the word “ghetto” holds, explaining how it is more of a place, rather than a measure of potential. He desires to remind all students that just because you grew up in the “ghetto”, does mean you cannot flourish, while also stressing the importance of remembering where you came from.
Crestfallen
Micah Murray is a first year journalism major, from Charlotte, NC. Similar to Matthew, Micah also started his brand in high school. There also lies a purposeful message within Micah’s business.
The definition of “crestfallen” according to Oxford Languages is “sad and disappointed”. Micah titled his brand after this adjective, as he believes that this is a genuine emotion for many people in life.
Much of Micah’s inspiration comes from his brother. He recalls that in the process of creating the concept for his brand, he wanted to create something unique. Previously, he shared conversations with his brother that noted how repetitive many contemporary fashion brands were, he wanted to break this cycle.
He expresses that through his brand he wants to “help people find their own happiness within themselves, and… not depend on other people for anything, because sometimes you have to be able to find joy within yourself.”
Thus Crestfallen was born, with the hope of demonstrating to others the importance of self discovery. If one is “tired of being disappointed” they must first search for contentment in themselves.
While working to establish himself on campus Micah appreciates the supportive nature of Hampton students. He states, “there are a lot of young African Americans that either have the same goals and aspirations as you, or they just want to support other young black people in business.”
In totality, Micah’s hope is to grow his brand, while touching people with his message. When asked of his long-term goal he stated “I just want to spread my message across as much as possible and reach as many people as I can.”
Environments such as Hampton University, and other HBCUs ease the difficult journey of being a black creative. This is due to the unmatched support that HBCUs have for their students, and their talent.
While working to establish himself on campus Micah appreciates the supportive nature of Hampton students. He states, “there are a lot of young African Americans that either have the same goals and aspirations as you, or they just want to support other young black people in business.”
In totality, Micah’s hope is to grow his brand, while touching people with his message. When asked of his long-term goal he stated “I just want to spread my message across as much as possible and reach as many people as I can.”
Environments such as Hampton University, and other HBCUs ease the difficult journey of being a black creative. This is due to the unmatched support that HBCUs have for their students, and their talent.
Click here to check out more of Ghetto Scholars
Click here to check out more of Crestfallen
