During the month of February, two influential clubs at Adrienne C. Nelson High School came together. The Black Student Union and Athletic Leadership collaborated on a project designed to connect the school. They are selling Black History Month shirts that create a sense of unity and pride through representation.
“Our whole point is to bring the community together,” says Nelson sophomore Jaylen Lewis.
The Black Student Union at Nelson aims to uplift students of the school community who identify as Black and African American. Lewis is a current member and aspiring club leader.
“It’s a safe space for everyone,” Lewis says.
The Black Student Union meets at least every other week on either Tuesday mornings or afternoons, preparing for Black History Month by making posters and “talking about the shirts,” Lewis says.
Those shirts, which highlight influential Black figures who have made an impact on the world, were designed and sold in collaboration with the school’s Athletic Leadership, which is a club at Nelson with about 50 members. It meets in the library during lunch on Thursday afternoons and Friday mornings.
Nelson senior Oskar Stepaniak is the ambassador for Athletic Leadership. He says the objective of their club is to “create a community of athletes who can collaborate on making a positive change in the community.” The club is well known for its projects where they team up with other affinity groups at Nelson.
Both clubs strive to promote inclusivity. Their members aim to serve as positive role models for students.
“Collaborating with the BSU ensures that the designs and the message of the shirts are meaningful, respectful, and aligned with the significance of Black History Month,” says Athletic Leadership Vice President Leala Tran. “Together, we represent unity and cultural appreciation through our student-led activities.”
The two clubs came together and organized themselves into committees. This way, they effectively tackled multiple aspects of the complex process at once. While some student groups focused on research, others looked into marketing. Students also designed the graphics that appear on the front and back of the shirts.
The focus of the design of the shirts is representation.
“We asked who we would want to see and of course, the first idea was Mrs. Adrienne C. Nelson, the judge and face of our school,” Lewis says.
After many trial rounds, a design highlighting five influential black figures – Simone Biles, Malcolm X, Tupac Shakur, Kobe Bryant, and Judge Adrienne C. Nelson – was finalized.
More information about these influential figures and how they were selected can be accessed here.
The shirts, per a joint statement, are a “wearable celebration of these figures’ remarkable legacies, aiming to inspire pride, awareness, and unity throughout the school and broader community.”
Dana Capalucci, an Athletic Leadership advisor, put the clubs in contact with Rashad Floyd, the founder of Heart and Hustle Productions, a full-service digital production company located in Portland. Floyd and his company helped organize the production of the shirts.
“He’s (been) a great help to our project,” says Tran.
The shirts will be sold at all Nelson sporting events throughout February. The size range is extra small through double extra large, and the price is $20. Nelson students can purchase the shirts directly from the Student Store in school. The shirts can also be bought online through a payment portal located on Adrienne C. Nelson’s website.
Fittingly, the proceeds will be split equally between the two organizations.
“We will use it for our future projects,” says Graycin Janzen, Athletic Leadership treasurer. “We have a lot in mind collaborating with other clubs around the school.”
Added Lewis: “We were just able to work together to make something great this month.”
Are you interested in purchasing a shirt and supporting the Black Student Union and Athletic Leadership? Stop by any Adrienne C. Nelson home sporting game to pick one up! Shirts can also be purchased electronically through the school’s payment portal!