Five Custom Ink Customers Who Support Black Communities

In honor of Black History Month, we’re highlighting five Custom Ink customers who have used custom gear to support Black communities throughout the year while raising money and awareness for their causes. Read on to learn more about the work that they do and how they’ve been successful.

One of the custom t-shirts Outdoor Afro sells on their site. Photo credit: Tiffany Womack

The org: Outdoor Afro
The cause: This national not-for-profit inspires Black connections and leadership in nature, runs programs for events like Juneteenth and Black History Month and provides leadership training to members. 
How they use custom gear to help: Outdoor Afro uses custom shirts and other products to help dispel stereotypes and show a love for the outdoors. They sell Custom Ink gear through their website and they say that it not only engages and inspires their audience and allows fans to share their love of the organization, but it also helps them promote their cause and increase name recognition.
Learn more: Honoring Black History Month With Outdoor Afro

One of the Advancement Project fundraiser t-shirts.

The org: Advancement Project National Office
The cause: This next generation multi-racial civil rights organization has been fighting racism for more than two decades and works with grassroots organizers and aims to change policy and practices on local and state levels.
How they use custom gear to help: In 2021, Custom Ink teamed up with Advancement Project National Office to run a fundraiser to raise money and awareness for their cause. The Power + Justice = Freedom shirts sold more than 500 shirts and raised nearly $9,000. 
Learn more: Power + Justice = Freedom: About Advancement Project National Office

Academics for Black Survival and Wellness co-founders Dr. Della V. Mosley (L) and Pearis Bellamy (R).

The org: Academics for Black Survival and Wellness
The cause: This educational effort to teach non-Black academics about white supremacy and anti-Black racism and provide a safe space for healing racial trauma for people who are Black was established by a Psychology advisor and a doctoral student at the University of Florida.
How they use custom gear to help: They used a series of custom t-shirt fundraisers to raise money to help pay program expenses and provide support for educators.
Learn more: Academics for Black Lives

A moment from Black Nativity by Langston Hughes at Karamu House.

The org: Karamu House
The cause: The oldest producing Black theatre in the United States, Karamu House first opened its doors in 1915 and provides arts education, programs, and professional theatre productions for all theatregoers while honoring the African American experience. 
How they use custom gear to help: When they were forced to close their doors due to the pandemic, they ran a t-shirt fundraiser so that their community could show their support and help pay expenses until they were able to resume putting on shows. 
Learn more: Black Theatre Matters

The original design from the photo series and the first fundraiser shirt using a version of that design.

The org: Because of Them We Can
The cause: Born from a Black History Month photography campaign, this organization is dedicated to celebrating Black History Month all year long. They now provide notable news and information and distribute a monthly subscription box for kids dedicated to Black excellence and history.
How they use custom gear to help: Just as they were starting out, they got an early financial boost, along with building buzz, through a t-shirt fundraiser. Their t-shirts have become a hallmark of their brand and help community members show their support for, and get the word out about, the effort.
Learn more: Celebrating Black History with Because of Them We Can 

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