Howard Alum’s Fashion Line is a Symbol of HBCU Pride
What does Black history look like when you can wear it? For entrepreneur Tahir Murray, it looks like Legacy. History. Pride. (LHP) is a fashion brand bringing the culture, traditions and unmistakable spirit of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) into contemporary streetwear. A Howard University alum, Murray is creating a platform where Black heritage meets fashion and cultural pride becomes a statement of ownership. That ownership is deeply personal.
“If you could believe an impact on somebody’s heart, that could change their mindset for the rest of their life, then that’s legacy,” Murray explained to TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle. “History is their respect for all the people that have crawled for you to walk; for you to run; for you to fly. Pride is confidence. Pride is your love. Pride is ambition.”
Murray is a third-generation entrepreneur whose relationship with fashion began long before he launched LHP in 2019. His family had already established its own footprint in the apparel industry, beginning with his grandfather, Ortner “Von” Murray, who immigrated from Trinidad and Tobago to Queens, New York, in 1966. A cobbler by trade, his grandfather eventually opened Von’s Sneaker Store with his brother. According to Forbes, the family business later became the first Black-owned store in the country to secure a Nike account.
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His father, Gerard Murray, helped expand that entrepreneurial foundation, building the School of Hard Knocks streetwear brand, which found an audience among hip-hop heavyweights including Jay-Z and Nas. For young Murray, the family store was practically a second home. He got a front-row education in Black entrepreneurship, community building and the business of culture.
“Seeing that firsthand just developed my mindset of ‘how do I take what I love and continue to make an impact through what I love to do?’” he told The TODAY Show.
By the time he arrived at Howard, he noticed something missing. The merchandise in HBCU bookstores lacked the creativity, variety and contemporary appeal he saw elsewhere in collegiate fashion, he told TODAY. Murray believed Black colleges should have apparel that reflected the richness of their traditions and the style of their students, and he decided to do something about it.
While still a student, Murray launched LHP from his dorm room, using money earned DJing and hosting campus parties to fund his first clothing samples, he told Forbes. The brand officially launched in 2019, with a mission to make HBCU culture visible through fashion.
The gamble began paying off nationally when NBA star Chris Paul wore LHP designs during the 2020 playoffs. The exposure sent merchandise flying off the shelves, selling out within minutes and helping the company expand its orders for Howard, Morehouse and Spelman. Murray also earned recognition through Nike’s HBCU Yardrunners campaign and won Pharrell Williams’ 2024 Black Ambition Prize, Andscape reported.
Today, LHP has licensing partnerships with more than 30 HBCUs, including Howard, Spelman and Morehouse, alongside collaborations with organizations and brands such as Nike, NASCAR and Nickelodeon.
In an industry where Black designers and business owners have historically fought for visibility, Murray is making a statement worth wearing. LHP is a reminder that Black culture is not simply something to consume. It is something Black entrepreneurs can own, develop and build upon.
His mother and family also played a critical role, providing the guidance and business acumen that helped keep the family enterprise moving. Murray credited his mother as the glue of the family and the brains behind its success. She told TODAY his success is more than just about learning from the generations before him.
She said, “We’re just super proud to know that Tahir and his generation are living their ancestors’ wildest dreams.”
