FUBU
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FUBU is a major line of sportswear and the company of the same name, founded in 1992. Founder Daymond John started the firm with a line of hats made in his house in Queens, New York. John turned half of his house into a factory and the other half into living space for him and his team, a group of five neighborhood friends, including J. Alexander Martin, Keith Perrin, and Carl Brown. The "05" commonly found on FUBU jerseys is a reference to these five founders. FUBU stands for "For us, by us" - where "us" refers to African-Americans.
FUBU staff started the company for their community, which employs a high percentage of African-Americans. The founders intended to compete with predominantly White-owned sportswear companies such as Nike, which use inner-city Black youth in New York and elsewhere to research what is cool, then make products from the feedback. FUBU felt that Nike was profiting from the authenticity of New York street fashion without giving enough back to the community, and that to this extent Black culture was being exploited. In targeting African-Americans and defining their competitors this way, FUBU stirred controversy as to whether the company intended to shut out non-Blacks. FUBU insists they are not intentionally exclusive, and their marketing targets all races.
The FUBU collection consists of T-shirts, rugby shirts, football jerseys, hockey jerseys, baseball caps, and denim jeans. All are embroided with the FUBU logo. Most of the products, such as the jeans, are imported from around the world. FUBU has now expanded to include various lines such as Platinum FUBU, FUBU footwear for men and women, Intimate Apparel & Active wear, Swimwear, Watches and FUBU suits, and FUBU tuxedos. The Platinum FUBU collection also includes the Fat Albert and Harlem Globetrotters clothing lines.
FUBU has received several honors for their entrepreneurial achievements. These include two Congressional Awards, two NAACP Awards, the Pratt Institute Award, the Christopher Wallace Award, the Online Hip-Hop Award and a Citation of Honor from the Queens Borough President. They also won a prestigious award from Essence, a popular African-American magazine.