Pensole Lewis College X AfroFuture
T-Shirt Design Competition
Pensole Lewis College (PLC) Design program and AfroFuture have partnered for a t-shirt design contest. The winning designer will have the opportunity to sell their merch at the AfroFuture Detroit Festival.
Theme: Unity Across the Diaspora in the 313
This year’s theme speaks to the shared energy, rhythm and resilience that connects African descendants coming together in Detroit as the cultural heartbeat. The design should celebrate that unity, while channeling the vibrant spirit of AfroBeats, community and identity.
*Voting is now closed.
Design 1
Title: All Roads to Detroit
Description: Step into the future with this electrifying design featuring the Detroit skyline, tribal sun patterns, flying cars and dancing silhouettes. Inspired by the city’s legacy as a hair capital and its Afrocentric roots, this tee celebrates power, movement and heritage.
Design 2
Title: More than a T-shirt, it's a statement.
Description: The front graphic features a striking illustration of an African queen posed like the iconic Spirit of Detroit, dressed in traditional kente cloth. She holds symbols of strength and enlightenment, surrounded by legendary Detroit landmarks like Motown and the Joe Louis Fist. This design speaks to pride, progress and power at the crossroads of heritage and vision.
On the back, a vintage world tour-style graphic connects Detroit, MI and Africa through a path of rhythm, unity and flight. "DETROIT 2025" sits proudly at the top with a lineup of artists below that celebrates a global cultural exchange. Featured names include Davido, Asake, Kaytranada, Ludmilla, Tee Grizzley and many more.
Design 3
Title: Rhythm Runs Through Us
Description: A wearable celebration of movement, sound and ancestral connection. Designed by Rohna Battle-Woodger as part of AfroFuture’s 2025 collection, this limited-edition tee honors how rhythm flows through the Diaspora—from the motherland to Motown.
The front features a globe held in golden-adorned hands, centering Africa with vibrant textile textures that symbolize cultural memory and power. The back showcases a vinyl record, its grooves spiraling with the names of this year’s performers—a nod to Detroit’s musical legacy and rhythm as resistance.
Created in partnership with Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design (PLC Detroit), this piece embodies bold storytelling, rooted design and the timeless power of Black creativity and connection—threaded together through rhythm, culture, and spirit.