Behind the design of the Nationals’ ‘Chocolate City’ jersey: ‘I wanted every element to have a purpose’

When the Nationals approached local designer Daniel Frazier about creating their “Chocolate City” jerseys, he already had the idea percolating in his mind. But before getting to work, he had a phone call to make.

“A cool part of this process was just calling my dad,” Frazier said through email. “We ended up talking for well over an hour about our family’s history in Washington and what D.C. has meant to generations of our family. Because of that, intentionality became the driving force behind every design decision. I wanted every element to have a purpose and connect back to the story we were telling.”

Frazier is from the DMV and attended the University of Maryland, so his local ties only enhanced his feelings about the project. He previously worked for the Nationals for more than five years as a designer.

On Aug. 26, the Nationals are celebrating their first African American Heritage Night. The organization has had Juneteenth and Negro Leagues celebrations, as well as Hispanic, Japanese and Salvadoran heritage nights.

The jerseys that Frazier designed will be available with the purchase of a special ticket. Frazier worked with the Nationals Black Employee Network — a team resource group that focuses on professional development, cultural awareness and community programming — on the concept. The “Chocolate City” nickname came about because the District was the first major U.S. city to have a majority Black population.

Frazier used a cream base to allow the chocolate brown to “appear richer and more vibrant throughout the design.” The jersey draws inspiration from the historic Homestead Grays uniforms and aims to honor the legacy of the Negro Leagues in D.C. The chocolate and red sleeve was included as a nod to the current Nationals uniform.

Honoring the city’s rich history was paramount to Frazier, and we wanted the people and stories that inspired him to be celebrated accurately. Collaboration is an essential part, too. Receiving feedback and input from the Nationals Black Employee Network “helped ensure the final jersey was meaningful and respectful of the history it represents.”

Art has meaning. It makes people think and, at its best, sparks intrigue. Sports have the unique function of connecting people of different backgrounds through the shared experience of attending a game or rooting for the same team.

But more than anything, Frazier wants fans to learn about D.C.’s history. Included are a large “57” and smaller “19” that hearken back to 1957, when D.C. became America’s first majority-Black major city.

“Those details matter to me because they encourage people to look a little deeper,” Frazier said. “Every choice had a meaning.”

Once Frazier was commissioned for this project, he was ready to capitalize on an opportunity that was years in the making.

“The final design came together over the course of a couple of weeks as I worked through different layouts, color palettes, typography, and details,” Frazier said. “The core idea had been with me for years.”