Beats by Dre and Propel Center Announce New ‘Living in Legacy’ HBCU Collaboration
Howard University graduate Mia Moore has designed the ultimate design to represent HBCUs on Dr. Dre’s Beats. The Beats are to represent the excellence of HBCUs and academic achievement. Since the racial uproar in 2020, different brands, like Beats, have been trying to include and highlight the excellence of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Inspired by the Kente Cloth, @HowardU graduate designer Mia Moore (@xmi_amor) created a unique Studio3 Wireless as a “love letter” to the HBCU.
— Beats by Dre (@beatsbydre) March 7, 2022
Each student ambassador of the university’s @thepropelcenter will receive a pair in tribute to the rich legacy that they are creating. pic.twitter.com/RhK3slZS5W
Dr. Dre’s beats partnered with the Propel Center to create the Kunta Kinte cloth-inspired headphones. Both companies released the announcement this week. The Propel Center is an innovation epicenter that provides HBCUs with the tools to change the world. Dr. Dre’s Beats partnered with the Propel Center to create the Kunta Kinte cloth-inspired headphones to help celebrate HBCUs and the fantastic students they produce. With the campaign theme, ‘Living in Legacy,’ Mia Moore talked about what living in Legacy meant to her in the video released.
“When I think of Legacy, I think of all of the wonderful Black artists and Black Creatives that came before me. I want to create more art that represents our community and tells our stories because I think they are unique and special and worthy of being shared.” Moore stated.
Mia Moore was prompted to develop a design that represents all HBCUs. She then looked at her graduation stole, which was Kunta Kinte cloth. Kunta Kinte cloth is a unique pattern that represents Black excellence and culture. The different colors in the design mean something significant. The gold in the cloth means serenity, the yellow means fertility, the green means renewal, the blue means pure spirit/ harmony, the red means passion, and the black means union with the ancestors/ spiritual awareness. The cloth is usually as a stole worn at an HBCU graduation.
She created these one-of-a-kind Studio3 Wireless as a love letter to her alma mater Howard University. Howard University is ranked the second-best HBCU in the world. The university is known for producing some of the great civil rights leaders and actors we know today. Mia thought it was important to remember the rich history and Legacy of the students that came before her. The Propel Center partners with multiple HBCUs to provide its students with opportunities. They provide students with the necessary tools to achieve academic and professional success. A pair of headphones will be distributed to each Propel Center student ambassador.
