The recent high-profile killings of unarmed black men have reignited outrage over the racial injustices that continue to plague our nation. Freshjive founder Rick Klotz, who has never shied away from making political statements, highlights this issue with the newly released "Black Is Not a Crime" graphic tee.
Koltz said the T-shirt was produced about two years ago and was inspired by the work of author Khalil Gibran Muhammad. The release was initially put on hold, as the Freshjive team worked on structuring the brand's big return. Fast-forward to spring 2020, when Koltz received another jolt of inspiration from Pink Siifu's politically charged Negro album—specifically the "SMD" track.
"['SMD' is ] a very heavy piece of emotional music that inspired us to get the T project out," Koltz wrote on Instagram about the graphic tee drop. "It wasn’t timed with anything. Unfortunately any date of release isn’t far from coinciding with a death at the hands of the law, a riotous injustice, or the constant ongoing unequal treatment people of color endure in this country’s legal system."
The "Black Is Not a Crime" graphic tee is available now for $40 on Freshjive's website. All proceeds will benefit the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to mass incarceration and excessive punishment.
