Today we’d like to introduce you to George and Elicia Davis.
George and Elicia, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
We began Truth & Gold in November of 2016, in what clearly was a heightened period of social and political frustration. We both had long-standing careers in higher education, specifically serving students of color and facilitating DEI conversations, also at the time, George was moonlighting as an image consultant.
As new parents welcoming a child of color into the world met us with great joy and a mountain of fears. Amidst the joy, hopes for their futures, and optimism we were very aware of the perils and messages of negative self-image awaiting them through the many loud voices in society. We felt as though we needed to control the narrative of self-image for our son and other kids of color.
Creating T&G was a natural blending of our professional work, passion, and innate style. Since then, we have launched a range of products to empower BIPOC identity, assist families with courageous conversations and encourage people along their journey toward creating a more just and equitable world.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It can be challenging to stand out in a market that is now saturated with similar messages and inspiration. Encountering this tension helped us expand our products to also support and encourage allies. Running a small business is extremely all-consuming and there are always challenges whether creative, logistic, or financial.
We’ve been impressed with Truth & Gold, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Truth & Gold is a lifestyle brand where parenthood meets social activism. We interrupt and disrupt societal noise to make clear the voice of truth.
As a lifestyle brand, we produce apparel and a range of products that affirm BIPOC identity, assist allies with having courageous conversations and encourage people on their journey of pursuing justice. We believe our children (and yours) are beautiful, significant, and filled with limitless power to change our world. We have to remind them of this truth every day. And as we do so, we’re pushing out the negative narrative to make way for justice, peace, and a more equitable world.
Our hallmark is allowing our garments to encourage these conversations with ease. We understand the gravity of talking about race, identity, and justice. We attempt both through messaging and design to create an on-ramp to these conversations that allow for inquiry, vulnerability, and teachable moments without judgment.
Additionally, children being our target audience allows for our messages to enter spaces in a fun way… at the end of the day, you’re not going to be rude or disrespectful to a child.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Elicia- spending time on Cape Cod with my maternal grandparents and extended family learning about my Cape Verdean heritage and equally summers in Japan with paternal grandparents and family learning about our Korean-Japanese roots.
George- Long summer road trips from MI, KY, GA, and back spending time with cousins and stopping at every outlet mall on the journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.weartruthandgold.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weartruthandgold/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weartruthandgold/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/weartruthandgol/_created/
Image Credits
CreatedWithBriPhotography and HerstoryMakerPortraits
