By Hampton University
Hampton University third-year architecture student, Trajan Baker, is one of the top three winners of Target’s HBCU Black History Month Challenge.
“Our students here at this illustrious university continue to go above and beyond to excel in their chosen fields. We are proud to acknowledge Mr. Trajan Baker for his outstanding success on behalf of Hampton,” said Hampton University President, Dr. William R. Harvey.
The HBCU Design Challenge is a competition to design t-shirt artwork and graphics for the Target 2022 Black History Month campaign. Out of ten total winners, Baker placed in the top three.
“I wanted my artwork to speak. It’s entitled, ‘We Rise.’ It’s meant to demonstrate how we as black people have pulled ourselves up from everything we’ve been through in the United States of America. If you look at the top of my design you see something blooming and that represents our prosperity. The fist is the black power fist,” said Baker. “I feel very proud to represent my HBCU, Hampton University. I feel like this is our design as a whole. I’m taking the tools that I’ve learned from Hampton and I’m applying my own artistic creativity to produce work. Being able to showcase my art to the world and just being acknowledged, you’ll always remember Hampton University. It feels great.”
Target’s HBCU Design Challenge invited HBCU students to submit designs for potential inclusion in Target’s Black History Month collection. Three winning designs were selected, and in addition to having their designs featured as part of this year’s collection, the winners also had the opportunity to partner with the Target team to learn about all aspects of production – from textile selection to placing the new products in stores.
The top three winners of the challenge received:
- $3,000 Prize
- Apple Mac Book Pro
- UX Design Course valued at $4000
- Snapchat AR Spectacle Glasses
“I’m currently studying architecture. It’s something I love and something I want to continue to do. I have this artistic background and my own creative business. Right now I’m working on merging the two disciplines.”
