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