A.J. Robinson, a 2020 University of Mary Washington graduate with a passion for journalism, quickly hit a stride during his last semester, sending out resumes to various local news outlets with aspirations of becoming a beat reporter. Unfortunately, as COVID-19 made landfall, many publications took a financial hit, rendering them unable to take on Robinson as a new hire.

As with many graduates in the wake of COVID-19, Robinson scrambled to find employment before graduation. Thankfully, he came across a paid opportunity with NextGen America (a national organization dedicated to electing Democratic candidates) as a Field Organizer at Temple University in Philadelphia. Soon after graduating from UMW this past May, Robinson packed his bags and hit the road.

The streets of Philadelphia were an abrupt change of scenery for Robinson, who spent his formative years in Loudoun County, Virginia, the top-ranking county in America for median household income according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Regarding the dichotomy, Robinson remarked, “I saw a side of America and the world that I had never seen before, the realities of living in a city and the realities of what lots of people face. Before the move, I was very privileged to live in Loudoun County, a very upwardly mobile place. But when I moved to Philadelphia, I saw something different. I saw homelessness, I saw how prevalent it was. I see poverty now, up close and personally, and it changed my perspective on everything.”

While working to register eligible voters at Temple University and educate them on various Democratic candidates, Robison found himself eager to foster direct change in a year where the murders of unarmed Black Americans by police continued to make national headlines. Robinson told the PW Perspective, “In the midst of all the racial tension with the murders of unarmed Black men and women, it was really traumatic for me being in Philadelphia at this time. Philadelphia already isn’t the safest place in terms of crime, and when you couple the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement on top of it, I’ve seen things now that I’ve never seen before. And amid all the racial tension, I wanted to change all that negative energy into something positive, and I came up with the brand ‘Human Heart’.”

In pursuing his business venture this past June, Robinson started his own t-shirt brand as an effective method of spreading unity in an era of deep cultural and political polarization. Seeking to make a direct impact, he decided to donate one-third of Human Heart’s proceeds to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, one of the nation’s premier criminal justice organizations. “This is my first true business pursuit, and the t-shirt idea came to me naturally during this time where a lot of people are getting laid off and furloughed due to the pandemic. Even during the pandemic, entrepreneurial pursuits can thrive in these environments as people are forced to get creative.”, said Robinson.

With an image in mind, Robinson commissioned the work of a close friend and former classmate at the University of Mary Washington, Sarah Krzywicki, to draft an official logo for Human Heart. Speaking on their partnership, Robinson stated, “I knew what I wanted in my head, but I didn’t have the background artistically. She took my vision and brought it to life”.

Krzywicki was quickly drawn to Robinson’s vision and worked diligently to create the logo that would ultimately become Human Heart’s staple. “He asked me to draw two hands coming together to make a heart along with a heart outside that looked like the flag. He wanted one hand to be brown and one white, so I made one my skin color and the other’s is A.J’s. I used a combination of my 7-year-old niece’s craft paints to create the colors, which was super hard since I only had baby pinks, bright reds, and blues, and whites to create the skin tones.”, she shared.

Robinson, ecstatic with the final draft, would have several pieces of merchandise shipped to him. After they met his quality standards, he quickly took to Instagram to launch a social media page for Human Heart. And with an initial investment of $4000 accumulated through working several jobs during his time at University (and the help of a small amount of graduation money from his parents), Robinson would launch Human Heart’s online storefront on June 15th. “Within the same day I launched, I received my first sale.”, he lauded.

Throughout the summer, Robinson would promote his brand through personal outreach to friends, relatives, and former classmates, along with utilizing social media to share his business with prospective customers and various social justice organizations. Speaking upon his advertising strategy, Robinson shared, “Whenever I send an order to a customer, I attach a tag to the merchandise telling them to follow and tag us on social media. It was really effective because when you have someone wearing a shirt on social media, people will comment and like the image and even go as far as messaging the wearer to see where they can buy one. I would essentially mass-market through my customers who had already bought a shirt and have them spread awareness to members of their network.”

Robinson’s strategy proved highly successful as business boomed for Human Heart Apparel well into the fall. With sales picking up steam, and awareness continuing to spread throughout social media, he quickly garnered enough revenue to break even on his initial $4000 investment by early September.

As of December 10th, Robinson reports that Human Heart Apparel has shipped out close to 1000 orders to customers all across the country, with a plethora of new inventory items now available for purchase on his website including tank tops, sweatshirts, and the ever-popular 2020 staple, COVID-19 facemasks. 

Through his nationwide success, Robinson has raised a whopping $5000 for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and has even launched his own scholarship program for first-generation college students, awarding $1000 to eligible recipients. “Just recently, I had the privilege of awarding a scholarship to a young woman who is currently attending Temple University.” said Robinson. “A college education is a huge factor in the wealth gap and escaping poverty. I’ve always been passionate about helping young people become the first member of their family to access higher education.”

Looking ahead to 2021, Robinson has set his sights high, aiming to raise at least $10,000 for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, along with issuing three additional scholarships to students in need. Speaking on whether he foresees his business venture becoming a full-time job, he stated, “I would love to turn this into a full-time business for myself, but I’m cautious of attempting to grow too fast, as I’ve been doing everything on my own at the moment. I want to learn the most efficient ways to grow my inventory and how to market more efficiently. I’d love for this to be my full-time job one day, and for Human Heart to become a nationally recognized brand.”

Remarking on the brand’s success, Krzywicki shared, “I am honestly so amazed and ecstatic for A.J., he is such a genuine guy who cares about others deeply. I know that this is something he truly has a passion for, and to have been able to help A.J. achieve something that is actively changing lives is an amazing feeling! It’s surreal to see something I designed being worn by people across the country. I keep telling A.J., this is so crazy!”

Be sure to follow Human Heart Apparel on Facebook and Instagram, and visit their storefront here!