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Celebrated designer, writer, activist, and educator Cheryl D. Holmes-Miller''s memoir of a life in advocacy and her journey to answer the question "Where are the Black designers?" Cheryl D. Holmes-Miller is one of the design field''s most respected figures. She is legendary for her decades of scholarship and activism and known as a gadfly, touchstone, and conscience for the design profession. This long-awaited book documents the history of the question “Where are the Black designers?” and related questions that are urgent to the design profession: Where did they originate? Where have they been? Why haven''t they been represented in design histories and canons? Miller traces her 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, Maryland Institute College of Art, and Pratt, leading up to her oft-cited Pratt thesis examining barriers to success for Black designers. Miller describes the work of her eponymous studio for noted clients that included NASA, Time Inc, and the nascent Black Entertainment Television, as well as the story of her later critiques of the industry in the design press, most notably in Print magazine. Miller also recounts the parallel history of collective efforts over the past fifty years by fellow scholars and advocates to identify and celebrate Black designers. Her story is part memoir, part detective story, and part urgent call for justice and recognition for Black designers. • RENOWNED AUTHOR: First book by legendary design historian and activist Cheryl D. Holmes-Miller, the leading voice for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the graphic design industry and winner of AIGA Gold Medal (2021) and Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for Design Visionary (2021) •TIMELY TOPIC: The decolonization of design is a timely and trending topic in both professional and academic design circles; Miller''s contributions to the field stretch back to her oft-cited Pratt master''s thesis and her 1987 Print magazine article "Black Designers Missing in Action." • STRONG ACADEMIC POTENTIAL for course adoption in college and graduate design courses • FOREWORD by Crystal Williams, president of Rhode Island School of Design, award-winning poet and noted advocate for equity and justice in the fields of art and education * Graphic design professionals, teachers, and students * Anyone with an interest in overlooked Black history and historical figures ...
