About Us
The Conversation That Started Everything
In 2023, Erika Chesley and her daughter were talking about the baby on the way. Not just the excitement of a new life, but something heavier. They kept coming back to the same thought: this child would need to be born woke to survive. He would need his family to make sure he understood his culture and history, because so much of it was being erased and so little was being passed down.
At the same time, Erika's son had taken on teaching AP African American Studies at a Los Angeles high school. He was watching firsthand as young people finally gained access to the truth about who they are. The awareness in that family ran deep.
They knew they were not alone in this. A movement was already underway. They just knew it was time to show up in their own way. Born Woke Kids was born.
A Family Business Built on Purpose
Erika is the Founder and CEO. Her daughter and her son are with her every day in the design, the details, and the decisions. We are woman-owned and Black-owned, rooted in Altadena, a community that has given so much and lost so much. We carry that with us.
What We Believe
The first classroom is your home. Parents are their child's first teachers. And what a baby wears can spark a conversation that shapes who they become.
Every piece we make carries a message. Not decoration. A declaration.
We have always believed that the more you know, the more they grow. That was our first tagline, and it still drives everything we do. Because this brand was never just about what your baby wears. It is about equipping you, the parent, the grandparent, the auntie, the uncle, to fill the gaps that school will not fill.
That means knowing your history. Knowing your family lineage. Buying Black. Supporting the organizations in your community that are doing the work. Normalizing those conversations early so your child grows up with that foundation already in place. We are here to inspire that, connect you to it, and walk alongside you in it.
That last one is personal. Black women in America die from pregnancy-related causes at three times the rate of white women. That is not an accident. It is the result of a system that has never valued Black mothers the way it should. We talk about it. We partner with organizations working to change it. And since our very first year, we have donated annually to Breastfeed LA, a Los Angeles organization dedicated to supporting Black mothers and babies through one of the most critical windows of their lives.
We do not just put it on a shirt. We put our money behind it.
This Is Not a Fad. It Is a Trend.
The 2020 U.S. Census shows that 53% of children under the age of five are people of color. The face of the next generation is already here. Born Woke Kids was built for them and for the families raising them with intention.
Why It Matters That You Know This
There are many places to buy a onesie or a toddler tee. We know that.
What you will not find everywhere is a brand born from a real conversation, in a real family, about a real baby who deserved to know exactly who he is. When you buy from Born Woke Kids, you are buying from the family that started that conversation and decided to share it with the world.
We started with one bodysuit. We are building a movement.
Born Woke Kids | Pasadena, CA | @bornwokekids | bornwokekids.com