Anthony Wright and Brian Allen created #BlackAndHooded for all the graduates who achieved advanced degrees. In a conversation with HuffPost Black Voices on Wednesday (May 31), the two graduates admit they wanted to combat stereotypes and perceptions of black people in hoodies, while also promoting representation in graduate school.
The idea was sparked from a conversation Indiana University alumnus, Wright, had with an undergrad student he was advising at the time, in which she expressed the positive image the black graduate students were providing for their undergraduate constituents.
“That made me think about how in my time in undergrad, I didn’t have that type of representation or example and how it almost deterred me from applying at all,” the co-creator said. “Seeing people like you in any educational or professional space is important in planting the seed of believing you can be there, and by using the hashtag across social media platforms, I sought to create a large pool of that representation across regions, institution types and areas of interest.”
In order to make the “black and educated” magic more accessible, the duo created a website for their movement, which displays photographs of more than 180 graduates. They accept emailed submissions and crowdsource others from the hashtagged snapshots on social media.
While Columbia University alumnus, Allen, admits to be aware of the adversity and restrictions our ancestors have had to face, he believes their movement offer the alternative of “infinite possibilities.”
See below some of our favorite submissions.