His parents want to ship him off to college in the Fall but are giving him until August to show results with his company. The business is Harvard Blvd. Clothing Company, a lifestyle brand and clothing store in Houston’s 3rd Ward. This young man is on his way to greatness.

Harvard Blvd. features a variety of Black owned brands and highlights fashions by local entrepreneurs. Their offerings are known for being chic and trendy — after all, who would know more than a high schooler about what the young people are wearing? What shoppers find at Harvard Blvd. is what’s next, not what has been. The store is making waves and gaining plenty of traction. With an Instagram following of over 140,000, people are definitely taking notice.

This is not simply a nice story but an example of what should be the norm in Black communities. Our children must be taught independence and self reliance. Historically, Black unemployment has always been twice that of whites. We cannot depend on others to create opportunity for us. We cannot wait for the benevolence of other people. We cannot even depend on the educational system, as currently constructed, to teach our children to do for self. It’s up to us, as a community.