Here: Where the Black Designers Are

Summary

Designer, activist, and educator Cheryl D. Holmes-Miller is legendary for her decades of scholarship and advocacy, and as a touchstone and conscience for the design profession. In HERE: Where the Black Designers Are, Holmes-Miller documents the history of—and answers to—the question she has been asking for decades: “Where are the Black designers?”

Holmes-Miller explores this essential question through the lens of her own development as a designer and leader, beginning with her own family and its rich multiethnic history. She narrates her experiences as a design student at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), and Pratt Institute, leading up to her oft-cited Pratt thesis examining barriers to success for Black designers. Holmes-Miller describes the work of her eponymous studio for noted clients that included NASA, Time Inc., and the nascent Black Entertainment Television (BET), as well as the story of her later critiques of the industry in Print magazine and other design publications. Holmes-Miller also recounts the parallel history of collective efforts by fellow scholars and advocates over the past fifty years to identify and celebrate Black designers.

HERE is part memoir, part historical investigation, and an urgent call for justice and recognition for Black designers.

“This book is representative of the shoulders on which we, as Black graphic designers, stand. These are the legacies we are fighting to uphold and the torches we must continue to carry. The journey of the Black designer has not been easy. It isn’t easy. And while we may be left out of history books, this is a reminder that we are here. Always have been. Always will be.”—Tré Seals, Vocal Type