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The experience goes beyond a typical college reunion; HBCU Homecoming is a family reunion, a fashion show, a cultural festival, and a week-long turn-up that embodies what it means to be unapologetically Black and educated. For HBCU alumni, the journey back to the yard each year is rooted in a love and pride that’s hard to put into words but impossible to deny.
From statement pieces to tech must-haves, every item represents the intersection of Black pride and HBCU love, ensuring that you show up to the yard in style and with intention. So whether you’re repping your alma mater for the first time since graduation or looking for fresh pieces to express your HBCU pride, these essentials will have you standing out, because, at HBCU Homecoming, it’s not just about showing up—it’s about showing out.
Thread Goals
diarrablu Jant Pants in Alia Noir
High-waisted, wide-legged, and ready to shut down the yard, the Jant Pants by diarrablu bring a whole new meaning to campus chic. Handcrafted in Dakar, Senegal, these free-flowing jacquard pants are perfect for stepping onto the yard with style and ease—making them a must-have for any HBCU alum’s closet.
Silver & Riley Convertible Executive Leather Bag Classic Size in Olive
This all-in-one luxury bag isn’t a bestseller for nothing. The Silver & Riley essential is made of Italian calfskin leather and thoughtfully designed, as it can be worn in four different ways: a shoulder bag, crossbody, a top handle, and a backpack. Chic and elegant, the Convertible Executive Leather bag is “the bag that every woman needs in her collection.”
Renowned Women's Intuition Cotton Graphic T-Shirt
Renowned
Renowned’s Women’s Intuition Cotton Graphic T-shirt features a bold graphic print inspired by the power and essence of women’s intuition. With its striking design, this all-cotton tee is a vibrant thing, making it a statement piece that celebrates feminine energy.
Mifland Million M Mesh Crop Shirt
Talk about bold, the Million M Mesh Crop Shirt combines edgy style with comfort, featuring Mifland’s signature print on a semi-see-through mesh fabric. Show up and show out in sophisticated flair.
HBCU Love FUBU
Melanin Is Life Melanated & Educated - I Love My HBCU Hoodie
Show off your HBCU love with this piece that represents everything you gained from your alma mater: a top-tier education, a community that lifts you up, and a deep sense of esteem for yourself and your culture. Wear it loud and proud, because being melanated and educated isn’t just a flex—it’s a legacy.
HBCU Culture Spelmanite Sweatshirt in Navy
Spelmanites, rep your Spelman pride with this unisex crewneck sweatshirt, designed for ultimate comfort and a relaxed fit. Made from a cozy cotton/polyester blend, this classic sweatshirt is as durable as it is stylish—making it an ideal piece for any Spelmanite showing love for their alma mater.
HBCU Culture Howard Is The Culture T-Shirt
Rock the ultimate flex by showcasing your Howard U love with HBCU Culture’s Howard Is The Culture t-shirt. This unisex tee offers a comfortable, relaxed fit that’s perfect for celebrating your HBCU spirit without sacrificing style or comfort.
DungeonForward FAMU - Strike Bucket - Reversible
DungeonForward’s Strike Bucket Hat brings versatility and style to the FAMU Crown collection with its reversible design, giving you two looks in one. Featuring a sleek black snakeskin-embossed brim lining and a bold outline Rattler emblem, this hat is all about repping your Rattler pride in style.
DungeonForward Savannah State University - HBCU Hat - TheYard
The Savannah State University HBCU Hat by DungeonForward is more than just a hat—it’s a symbol of Tiger pride and a nod to the culture. Perfect for gamedays, tailgates, or just showing off your HBCU love, this hat lets you carry a piece of the yard wherever you go.
Tech the Halls
Anker iPhone 16 Portable Charger, Nano Power Bank
Stay charged up with the Anker Nano Power Bank, which features dual USB-C ports, a foldable connector, and a compact design, making it perfect for those HBCU tailgates and late-night parties you pull up to.
Drip Check
Wisdom Frame 14 Square Sunglasses
Elevate your look with these angular square-frame sunglasses by Wisdom, bringing an ultramodern edge to any outfit. The sleek design makes them perfect for blocking out the haters while you stunt on the yard.
Coco and Breezy Eyewear Fortune in Gray Turquoise
The Fortune Glasses in Grey Turquoise is a bold statement piece to any Homecoming weekend ‘fit that “embody our fearless and outspoken DNA.” With their color and edgy design, these frames by Coco and Breezy are perfect for anyone looking to stand out and express their unapologetic confidence.
Howard U Lapel Pin
Rep your Bison pride wherever you go with this Howard U Lapel Pin from Pretty AmbVision. Whether adding it to your jacket, shirt, or bag, this pin is the perfect way to showcase your love for your alma mater while rocking your HBCU love with honor and distinction.
Mifland Standard Rucksack Mini
The Standard Rucksack is designed to evolve like that HBCU pride—getting richer, bolder, and better with time. Durable, stylish, and built to last, this Rucksack by Mifland is a timeless piece equipped with versatile carrying options and fully adjustable back straps for ultimate comfort.
Stay Fresh, Stay Blessed
Slip Pure Silk Sleep Mask in Pink
Keeping it cute starts with beauty sleep. This luxurious silk mask is an essential for a reason. If protecting your skin and waking up refreshed is your priority, look no further than this Homecoming essential.
Liquid I.V.® Hydration Multiplier Lemon Lime - Hydration Powder Packets
Stay hydrated and energized throughout Homecoming weekend with this Liquid I.V.® Hydration Multiplier in Lemon Lime. Just add a packet to your water bottle, and bless your body with 2-3 times more hydration than water with every packet. Because staying hydrated is the key to popping up and showing out all weekend long!
Loop Experience Plus Earplugs High Fidelity Hearing Protection
Designed for your hearing protection, these sleek earplugs reduce noise without compromising sound quality—perfect for enjoying the band’s halftime show, late-night parties, and DJ sets. Whether you’re front row at the step show or hitting the yard, your ears deserve to be protected in style!
Black Girl Magic Glass Cup
Sip in style and celebrate your melanin with the Black Girl Magic Glass Cup. Perfect for morning coffee, your favorite iced drink, or showing off your HBCU pride on the yard—this cup is all about keeping it cute while radiating your endless supply of Black Girl Magic.
Glow Up & Show Out
Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30
What Homecoming weekend can be complete without an assist from this beauty find? Formulated to blend seamlessly into melanin-rich skin (no white-cast), protect your glow while you turn up with the Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30.
Sienna Naturals Issa Rae's Wash Day Ritual Set
Issa Rae’s Wash Day Ritual Set from Sienna Naturals includes the H.A.PI. Shampoo, the Plant Power Repair Mask, Dew Magic, and Lock and Seal to get your crown right. Whether you’re repping your coils or rocking a new color on the yard, these products restore and nourish your strands, keeping your hair healthy, strong, and Homecoming-ready!
54 Thrones Ivorian Cocoa + Ghanaian Coconut Beauty Butter
Stay glowing from the tailgate to the after-party with the 54 Thrones Ivorian Cocoa + Ghanaian Coconut Beauty Butter. Infused with African-sourced ingredients, this rich, multi-purpose butter is the answer to keeping your skin soft and radiant through all the festivities all Homecoming long.
Saie Glossybounce Hydrating Lip Oil
Keep your lips looking luscious and nourished with the Saie Glossybounce Hydrating Lip Oil. Perfect for adding an extra pop to your pout before hitting the yard or freshening up between events, this lip oil is a beauty essential for staying camera-ready all weekend.
Join us in celebrating HBCU excellence! Check out our Best In Class hub for inspiring stories, empowering resources, and everything you need to embrace the HBCU experience.
Featured image by Visual Vic/Getty Images
Inspired to start Afro Unicorn after a chat with a close friend who called her a “unicorn” in reference to her ability to thrive at balancing multiple passions, personal life as a mother, and business, April is a self-made entrepreneur who brought her business acumen working in real estate and insurance to build a multimillion-dollar brand and a well-supported online platform for empowerment. The brand has caught the eyes of celebrities and major brands alike, continuing to amplify inclusion, fun, creativity, and representation.
Afro Unicorn has expanded, offering apparel, accessories, toys, books, bedding, and more to empower women and children of color how "unique, divine, and magical" they truly are. And recently, Afro Unicorn’s Magical Tresses Swirls & Twirls Curl Cream was chosen by Good Housekeeping for a 2024 Parenting Award for its empowering messaging and product offerings.
xoNecole caught up with April to talk about building her brand, her passion for the business, and more:
xoNecole: What was the idea and motivation behind launching Afro Unicorn?
April Showers: I believe that no one should rely on one source to dictate their livelihood, so that is the first reason why I started Afro Unicorn.
I was a serial entrepreneur when I started Afro Unicorn. I own and operate an insurance agency—one of the largest in the nation—and I'm also a licensed real estate broker. So a friend kept referring to me as a unicorn because of the businesses. I'm also a single mom of two boys. He kept telling me, like, ‘April, you're unicorn.' He told me this for two years, and finally, one day, I just asked him, ‘Why do you keep calling me that?’ He said, ‘Well, because you're running the businesses. You're raising the boys. You're a unicorn.’
I'm a woman, that's what we do. And he said, ‘No, you are exactly a unicorn.’ The phrase ‘You should never rely on one source to dictate your livelihood,’--- the reason why I started Afro Unicorn as an e-commerce brand--- it was because the insurance company that I have, the model is not a legacy, meaning if I pass away, I'm not able to give it to anyone.
And that kind of bothered me. I'm putting all this blood, sweat, and tears into it, and I want to build something that I can actually be able to pass down. And I found an article where it talked about starting a T-shirt brand, and the quote was, ‘You should never rely on one source to dictate your livelihood.’ And it just resonated with me.
So, I had my friend calling me a unicorn, I was using the unicorn emoji, and one day, it didn't resonate with me anymore. So, when I went to go find a unicorn that looked like me. I couldn't. I decided to create it, and I wanted to create it in a way where I can also otherwise was where I could also inspire other women like me who might have been dealing with imposter syndrome and did not know that they were a unicorn, those that wanted to start their own businesses but were scared, those that were in it but didn't know how to keep going in it.
So that's why I started Afro Unicorn. It started as a social platform, [then evolved into an] e-commerce brand selling T-shirts. [We] highlighted other women to say what makes them unique, divine, and magical, and yeah, it caught a wave.
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xoN: What did it take to launch the brand in terms of the business expenses and effort?
AS: I knew that I had to build it to sell it.
So, the very first thing that I did was I got an accountant on board, and I also trademarked the logo. That was step one. So [for] startup costs roughly, $1,500 just to get the accountant on board and to get the trademark going.
To start a Shopify store and the print-on-demand shop—it costs less than $200 to get that going. And that's where I started. That’s what it took to actually get the setup of Afro Unicorn going.
But then it took a whole lot of work because a lot of people start, they're thinking that they can just build a brand, not understanding that you have to have a movement behind the brand. You have to have raving fans behind the brand.
Strategically, the platform was created to highlight other women—other entrepreneurs—and shout them out and tell people to patronize their businesses. So in return, people saw like, ‘Oh, if I go get the free unicorn shirt, then she's going to post me. She's going to talk about me.’ So then that built a movement.
We launched in May of 2019, and by July, we had Tiffany Haddish on board. We had Alicia Keys. By September, we had Sherri Shepherd. All organic. It's still that way, still very organic, because they saw that we were building something.
And so before I got into retail, there was a demand, and there was a movement behind Afro Unicorn, and the way we got in was through a video that went viral of a little girl wearing an Afro Unicorn shirt. Someone said, ‘I love your hair.’ And she said, ‘Thank you. It's an afro.”
That particular video was shared on so many blogs, it got all the way up to Oprah Daily, and that's when the Walmart buyer saw in the comments everyone stating,
That's Afro Unicorn’s baby. That's Afro Unicorn’s shirt. That's Afro Unicorn, which made the buyer then go over to our page, saw how there was an actual movement behind the brand, and then reached out to me to see if we could bring this into retail.
xoN: Yes, Tiffany Haddish’s book had a unicorn reference as well, which is where the connection was there, correct?
AS: Yes, called The Last Black Unicorn. And yes, that is why we reached out to her. Again, a lot of people think that you could just build, like, just say, 'I'm going to drop this idea, and then it's going to sell. If we build it. They come.' But that's not the case. We were very strategic on which celebrities we wanted to target.
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xoN: What is your advice for other entrepreneurs seeking to find success in what they're doing with their brands?
AS: My advice is that you have to be consistent. You have to show up every single day. You have to give it your all. You have to see the end and focus on what that end result looks like for you, and not worry about how it's going to happen, but just know it's going to happen. But if you can't visually see what the end looks like, and you can't really articulate what that end looks like—like I said, I knew in 2019, I'll be a household name and a worldwide brand.
So, if you can't say that definitely, that you know where your product or your service or whatever you have is going to go, you probably need to take a step back for a minute until you have a clear vision on exactly what it is that you want to do.
xoN: What’s next for Afro Unicorn?
AS: Right now we are in the middle of finalizing our live-action show, as well as the animated show, so we're working on all the content behind the scenes right now.
For more information on Afro Unicorn, visit the website or follow on Instagram @afrounicorn.
This interview was edited for brevity.
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