Junior clothing brand raises the voices of those frustrated by social injustice

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When it came time to decide where to go to college, Jordan Pierre had a tough decision to make at Morehouse College, a historically male-only college in Atlanta, or Syracuse University. Morehouse, who is very similar to Pierres High School when it comes to racial demographics, missed the cut because Pierre ultimately felt a change was needed.

The decision to go to Morehouse or Syracuse was probably the most difficult decision I have had in my life, said Pierre. It was essentially an inner battle between something that I was comfortable with and knew it would work with and a scary stranger.

Pierre chose SU because he wanted to step into a place of discomfort where he was in the minority, he said. The junior actively works for social justice and change through his new clothing brand, VOICE By Pierre. The brand’s name sums up its mission statement, which is to use your platform to amplify the voice of the unheard of, Pierre said.

The idea for the brand came to Pierre three years ago, when he watched The Hate U Give, an award-winning film that tackles the subject of police brutality against the black community.

The film’s emphasis on being heard was the driving force behind my creative process and an inspiration for myself to do the same, Pierre said.

While VOICE was created out of frustration and in response to the injustices faced by people in marginalized communities, it is important that black men have access to stylish fashion because clothing is the first thing they are judged on, said Rock.

Encouraged by his own training, Pierre wants the brand to help people kiss each other, regardless of race, ethnicity or sexuality. While the VOICE brand is still developing a website, Pierre is active on Instagram, where customers can contact to order products such as t-shirts and hoodies.

The Hate U Give was the catalyst for Pierre to form VOICE, but his ability to lead and inspire others began long before his time in Syracuse.

Stones hometown friend and rapper Josiah Miller, who goes by artist name BTB Dezz, said Jordans’ status as a leader dates back to his childhood in Brooklyn.

Jordan has always been someone people in our neighborhood (and) our community admired. In a field like ours, you see a lot of the negative and the worst in people, Miller said. Yet Jordan has always been seen as a positive light in all of this chaos. Jordan has always had a voice before VOICE.

In December 2020, Pierre hosted a live Q&A on Instagram of Newhouse School of Public Communications alumni with former Kelsey Davis, Founder and CEO of CLLCTVE. Davis and Jordan discussed the job responsibilities, expectations and goals of black people in today’s work environment.

As the sole founder and operator of VOICE, Pierre puts a lot of pressure on himself. He sees the VOICE brand as something bigger than himself.

VOICE, it’s not just me or even black people, said Pierre. VOICE is what is not heard, what is underrepresented and underestimated.

Pierre believes the job he does is chart a course for others from marginalized communities to follow. When his friends see him going to college, running his own business, doing great things, they are inspired to use their voices to do the same, Pierre said.

Tysean Canada, a close friend of Pierres and president of the National Society of Black Engineers chapter in Syracuse, said Pierre is a trusted confidant, and the two discuss how they can use their platforms to change the narrative of the way black students are viewed in Syracuse.

were more than just athletes and wanted to encourage black men and women to say that Syracuse is a place to feel comfortable and inspired to make a difference, Canada said.

The founder of VOICE also spends time exchanging ideas with his friends on how to grow his brand. Those conversations led to a pop-up sale of printed t-shirts and hoodies during the fall 2020 semester on the South Campus.

I had a temporary store… It was on fire, said Pierre.

The ambitions of the juniors are much greater for the company, said Pierre. And, while developing the brand’s website, he is also working on new models of clothing and expanding the collection of products available.

Among the printed t-shirts of singer-songwriter Lauryn Hill, he wants to expand to offer more American-style clothing and accessories, like tote bags, which he designs.

Anyone can put a photo on a shirt, but what Gucci and Louis Vuitton are doing is original, Pierre said. The sky is the limit for VOICE.