Kelli Halyard
After a 20-year career in Network news, I took the first step towards starting Alex & Scottie, a kids streetwear line that gives back, in early 2020. I started the line with a dual purpose in mind: I wanted to make comfortable and stylish clothes for my sons to wear, as well as to promote positivity and activism among our youth.
This is important to me for many reasons, including changing the way that some people have instinctively looked at African Americans. For example, we chose to raise our African-American family in Scarsdale, NY, because of the town’s commitment to excellence in education, coupled with a sense of community and belonging. Those ideals were challenged when my husband was approached inside our local Starbucks. The man who approached my husband asked if the two small boys in a double stroller, who at that time were about one and three years old, were our sons. When my husband proudly affirmed, the gentleman explained that he was a criminal attorney, handed my husband his business card, and advised that he keep it because, he said, we would need it one day.
Since that moment in our local Starbucks, our country has been challenged by an unraveling of society that was heightened by the global pandemic and its direct impact on everyday life. Societal issues captivated at-home audiences in 2020 when race relations reached a pinnacle of despair and a level of complexity that was thoughtfully addressed through school and home partnerships.
Many schools, like those in Scarsdale, have been dedicated to promoting diversity, inclusion and equality however, we can and must do more. Together, we as parents and members of great communities must continue to push past our individual comfort zones to begin breaking down barriers that have existed far too long in America. I believe that inspiring youth of all
backgrounds to work together towards the greater good is a place to start.
While the overall purpose of Alex and Scottie is to create chic and comfortable clothes for children, another one of our primary missions is to meaningfully give back to the community. To achieve this objective, Alex and Scottie will donate a portion of our profits to organizations that are dedicated to uplifting children and preparing them to be “Be the Change” our world needs.
Kelli Halyard
Founder and CEO, Alex & Scottie
