In American Ivy, “Chapter 3,” Trufelman discusses the historical context and relevance of Black Ivy, the Ivy-inspired aesthetic that gained prominence among students of historically black colleges and universities as well as civil rights activists in the mid-20th century.

Rather than being a mere adoption of Ivy within black America, “Black Ivy improved Ivy” (Trufelman, 00:32:21). Jason Jules, author of Black Ivy: A Revolt in Style, argues that “the embrace of Ivy style had to do with a desire to be seen as equal and not to allow particular prejudices and barriers to prevent you from doing that… There was an implicit challenge…of assumptions about who gets to own a certain style” (Trebay, par. 16). Trufelman ultimately presents Black Ivy as one of many examples of the cultural syncretism of Ivy, the predominant style of the elite originating from wealthy white anglo-saxon protestant Ivy League students, among disadvantaged groups in American society, including Jews, women, and African-Americans.

Timeline

I find it fascinating how the widespread adoption of Ivy among various groups can be viewed simultaneously as an endorsement and a rebuke of the ideals it represents; how it reflects the both the status quo and the political undercurrents of American society; and how it can serve as our reference iconography for abstractions like the idea of ‘cool’ or democracy.

Works Cited

Coltrane, John. “My Favorite Things.” Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/track/3ZikLQCnH3SIswlGENBcKe?si=1a426779b43d41b3.

Trebay, Guy. “The Making of Black Ivy Style.” The New York Times, 17 November 2021, www.nytimes.com/2021/11/17/style/black-ivy-style-jason-jules.html.

Trufelman, Avery. “American Ivy: Chapter 3” Articles of Interest, 9 November 2022, articlesofinterest.substack.com/p/american-ivy-chapter-3.