Why Can’t Black Folks Be Rich?: Unpacking Classism at HBCUs and This Ralph Lauren “Moment”

RDr. Steve D. Mobley, Jr.ecently, Ralph Lauren released his latest collection "Polo Ralph Lauren for Oak Bluffs" in collaboration with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)—specifically Morehouse College and Spelman College. Under the helm of James M. Jeter, a Morehouse College graduate and the brand's first Black creative director, the line and accompanying documentary are visually stunning. There is a distinct tapestry of the Black experience on full display. My immediate response? The late fashion icon and HBCU grad Andre Leon Talley provided me with the words when he once stated, "You know what? It's a famine of beauty honey! My eyes are starving for beauty!" I have felt this way for a while. I have yearned for wonderment and innovation, especially amid these tumultuous times. I have desired Blackness and deep imagination. Much to my surprise, this line gave me that. It still does—but then came the commentary, and it has been polarizing. The discourse has forced me to think more critically about this moment.

As a designer and formidable brand, Ralph Lauren has sought to sell a lifestyle in the realm of "Americana." In his attempt to convey the ideal of the "American Dream" through fashion, it has never been about just the clothes. Every oxford shirt, polo, and cable knit sweater often draped upon one's shoulder is a statement—a performance of white and affluent class structure. But many things can be true at the same time. Amid the critique condemning this line as elitist and obtuse, there is duality. Many wonder: Can Blackness even be part of this vision? Is now even the time?

To be clear, this is not the first instance the brand has placed Blackness on full display. This is the second SpelHouse drop. We must not forget how this fashion house deliberately and intentionally featured Naomi Campbell and Tyson Beckford in the '90s—before this time period, we had not seen Black models en masse at the helm of major ad campaigns for any major designer. But still, this Ralph Lauren moment feels different for myriad reasons.

This particular collaboration centers Blackness and HBCUs as an invitation into a world of what is or could be Americana. Then comes the rub. Black communities in the American societal context have a tenuous relationship with this country. We built the structure but are rarely given our due, time and time again. While this collection can be seen as audacious, the commentary persists, stemming from the uncomfortable topic of class within Black communities.

This newest fashion line has conjured questions about who has access to this brand of Blackness. Why these schools? Why Oak Bluffs and the Black elite—in this time and space? Is it tone deaf? Social media critics have deemed it divisive and even anti-Black.

I enter this conversation from a liminal space. I am now a tenured professor at an HBCU who holds a Ph.D., but it has been a journey. Even as a researcher who explores class and classism at HBCUs, I have my own questions. I still wrestle with them daily. I was a low-income student and proud Howard University graduate. Like Spelman and Morehouse, HU is an "elite" HBCU space. I have also vacationed in Oak Bluffs for a decade now. Talk about dichotomy!