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Emory Douglas

By Anonymous
Emory Douglas is an African American graphic designer known for his iconic illustrations designed for the Black Panther Party, which depicted the African American struggles during the 1960s and 70s.

Douglas was born in 1943 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. Douglas was first exposed to design as a teen after being incarcerated and sent to the Youth Training School of Ontario in California, at which he worked at the prison’s print shop. After his release, he went on to study commercial art at San Francisco City College. In 1967, Douglas joined the Black Panther Party as the party’s Minister of Culture. Douglas also became the party’s art director and lead illustrator.

Emory Douglas and his sister, Barbara E. at the Free Huey Rally, 1968

When he first started working with the Black Panther Party, Douglas designed the covers and illustrations for the Black Panther Newspaper. Soon he also began designing general recruitment and event posters to help spread the party’s ideology to the public. Not only did his work focus on the activism for Black rights, but it also focused on including women and children in that process.  

Douglas now works as a freelance designer and frequently gives talks and lectures on how art can be used in social and political formats.

Emory Douglas giving a speech at TYPO San Francisco, 2014
One of his most famous works includes 1969: Year of the Panther newspaper cover. This was one of Douglas’s most successful cover designs, and it created a lot of discussion about the Black Panther Party. The illustration showcased the power the Black Panther Party possesses and how they are determined to make changes to society. 

1969: Year of the Panther, by Emory Douglas (1969)
Douglas is also known for his work titled,  Afro-American Solidarity with the Oppressed People of The World (1969). This was one of the few designs that showcased a woman as a feature and activist of the Civil Rights Movement. Douglas knew how important it was to showcase women at this time since they are also such a vital part of the community equally.

Afro-American Solidarity with the Oppressed People of the World, by Emory Douglas (1969)
One of Douglas’ most notarized later works, is I Gerald Ford am the 38th Puppet of the United States (1974). This piece was not directly made for the Black Panther party, but rather as a social commentary. The poster acts as a commentary on how President Ford was seen as a corporate puppet, rather than a representative of the American people. 
I Gerald Ford am the 38th Puppet of the United States, by Emory Douglas (1974)
Emory Douglas is a vital graphic designer to learn about, as his designs made such a significant impact on America and the Civil Rights Movement. His designs effectively depicted the struggles of African Americans in the 60s and 70s and advocated for extreme social reform. His visual representation of the Black Panther Party and their ideology was essential in helping reach many illiterate members of African American communities. To this day, his work is extremely revolutionary and still resonates with current issues and communities. The way he used his talents to address social problems and support social movements is something valuable that audience should learn about and recognize. 
References:
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/16/arts/fifty-years-later-black-panthers-art-still-resonates.html
https://www.aiga.org/visualizing-a-revolution-emory-douglas-and-the-black-panther-new
https://laughtoncreatves.com/13-african-american-graphic-designers-part-2/
https://www.culturetype.com/2019/04/23/emory-douglas-i-was-the-revolutionary-artist-of-the-black-panther-party/







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