Mission Statement
World Fed was created to "Raise Awareness" of all Americans, particularly minority men and women. These individuals are being incarcerated at an alarming rate throughout state and federal prisons. Like HIV/AIDS, the consequences of crimes do not discriminate. We believe that through our clothing line we can help bring solutions to the forefront and educate the American public. We further believe that if citizens are aware beforehand how much prison time they risk of committing a particular crime, it will reduce the rate of incarceration. Having been a part of the federal system, we can share with the world a better view through our own experience with the "Feds."
Why do we continue to lock up our most damaged and distressed youth and young adults in institutions where they spend far too much time confined to a cell with very little positive reinforcements, where purposeful activity is limited. Where most are miles from home and miles from their support systems. Where many of them feel frightened and unsure of themselves. World Fed Apparel was developed to provide an outreach to some of these troubled and disadvantaged youths through our many grassroots efforts and community programs. A careful implementation of ideas and planning from our founder and his associates will prove to be a valuable asset for the organization to help bring forth change and help save our young people from the perils of the prison system.
“The reason why many of us enter street life again is because they exit prison without a plan,” says Ricky Jenifer, founder of World Fed movement. “A lot of us come out with the expectation of getting that S, the street cred, back on our chest so we feel as though ‘let me jump back out there, make some quick money because that’s all most know how to do,’” he further explains.
That didn’t happen to Jenifer because he had more than a plan. Always known for his snazzy dressing and sense of style, Jenifer decided to reach the youth by combining his love of fashion with powerful messages that would deter youth from falling down the same hole he and many others did.
Launched as a way to give back, World Fed Apparel promises to be as big as the urban powerhouse names that precede it. FUBU, Phat Farm, Sean John and Rocawear, among many others, have proven that catering to the urban trendsetting market yields great financial rewards. All, in some shape or form, have an added message of empowerment that many youth can latch onto but World Fed Apparel is taking that a step further by saving lives.
Hailing from the mean streets of Baltimore, which inspired the gritty, award winning HBO series “The Wire”, Jenifer knows exactly what it feels like to slither down the wrong path. “Growing up in a one-parent household and not being able to have all the finest things in life, once you become able to afford those things, you just get yourself overwhelmed with it,” says Jenifer. Ultimately, he blames “the love of cars and the fast life” for the wrong turn that landed him in federal prison.
Lucky just to serve five years, Jenifer encountered too many other men in the four federal facilities he visited during his bid who couldn’t say the same. Like him, they left children in the street. Others were well on their way to becoming grandfathers with no hope of ever enjoying that phase of their lives. Feeling the burden of all that he saw, Jenifer figured “If I came out with an educational clothing line for at-risk youth and some adults that are still out there but have no knowledge of the laws that they’re breaking, maybe it will slow down the rate of incarceration.”
Pulling together his resources, Jenifer produced sample tees emblazoned with his vision. “I have a slogan that was my number one seller,” he says. “That slogan is ‘9 to 5 beats 10 to life’ and it’s universal across the whole board, whether you’re in the street or in the postal service. Even some of those cats who actually work 9-to-5 think about doing something illegal, to get themselves over that hump for some extra dollars.”
It’s not worth it is the point World Fed Apparel drives home. Shanny Herrera, a respected apparel executive who helped Rocawear rise all the way to the top of the urban fashion mountain, has signed on to Jenifer’s vision. “Why not send a message through trendy fashion,” she says, noting the influence fashion has in young people’s lives. “We’re a movement,” she says, co-signing Jenifer’s vision.
While the fashion is on point, thanks to a “serious team of designers” says Shanny Herrera, reaching out on the grassroots level is the cornerstone of World Fed’s movement. Since getting out of the pen, Jenifer has made his presence known. Not only has he tried to pick up the pieces with his own five sons, who he is proud to say are all following the right path, but Jenifer frequently reaches out to the youth in his community and beyond. Eventually World Fed will draw on others like him to present the message that crime truly does not pay nationwide and worldwide. As the laws get more vicious, going to prison is more and more like closing the coffin and that’s the message Jenifer wants to communicate the most.
“If I could just save one kid,” he says, “he could be my messenger that can turn around and pass the message on and it can become a domino effect.” For Jenifer World Fed Apparel is about the future. “We have to do something now because I left a lot of brothers that’s doing football numbers.”
World Fed is dedicated to providing an educational message through our hip and trendy clothing line. Our mission is to educate people to have a sense of understanding and knowledge of the "law." "Its not just a clothing line - its a movement."