Fourteen-year-old JeNoah Lee and his father, Ya’Hawkquah Lee, have started a clothing business called Urban Stereotype that focuses on empowerment and positive cultural diversity, reports BlackNews.com. JeNoah asked his dad to help him start the company rather than pursue a lawsuit against his former school over racial bullying.
Pushing through the pain, JeNoah no longer attends public school. After a year of being bullied by a classmate, who was also the teacher’s son, there was no other choice but to remove JeNoah from the situation and have him schooled from home.
There were two investigations conducted for the racially motivated bullying, but no action was taken. Eventually, his father hired an attorney to take legal action against the school district. But before the paperwork was filed, JeNoah, who is a remarkable young man, made a decision to turn his back on the negative experiences he endured. He became passionate about helping “people of color” and Urban Stereotype was born.
“I stopped all legal proceedings to help my son get his idea off the ground,” Ya’Hawkquah Lee says. “It was difficult to drop the case after three years of hard work, but sometimes it’s best to combat racial injustice in a different way.”
UrbanStereotype is a unique brand that supports cultural and ethnic diversity, along with promoting self-love. It seeks to change mindsets regarding negative stereotyping, along with helping African Americans feel good about who they are.
JeNoah, whose hobbies include photography and other forms of art, created the company’s logo himself. Iconic in both appearance and symbolism, not only does the logo stand for Urban Stereotype, it also spells out the word ‘Us’.
“This is very significant for my brand,” said the teen, who said the ‘Us’ applies to minorities who have experienced racial stereotyping, along with other groups who oppose these negative behaviors.
JeNoah has inspired thousands of youth and adults around the world. He’s won several pitch competitions and his incredible story was published on the cover of the Alliance Review, and the Canton, Ohio Repository newspapers. The story recently aired on Cleveland’s FOX 8 News as well.
The family is very excited as it plans to release an all-ethnic collection soon. “We have a huge vision for the brand,” said JeNoah’s father Ya’Hawkquah. “We foresee the Urban Stereotype logo becoming an international symbol for positive cultural diversity
