5 African American Graphic Designers You Should Know

Meet 5 African American graphic designers reshaping creativity. Get inspired by their groundbreaking work.

Diversity in graphic design was far from visible, back in the day. Let's keep that in mind as we celebrate African American graphic designers who have left an indelible mark on the field.

Charles Dawson (1889 – 1981)

Charles Dawson was an influential Chicago designer and artist through the 1920s and 30s who is best known for his illustrated advertisements.

Dawson began freelancing, producing work for other black entrepreneurs. Five years later, he took part in two different programs under Roosevelt’s New Deal, including the National Youth Administration, where he designed the layout for the American Negro Exposition, a piece composed of 20 dioramas showcasing African American history.

During the early ’30s, since he failed to get a book of his authorship published, Dawson founded his own publishing company. Now he could get his writing and illustration out there, with his book ABCs of Great Negroes.

The French painter Jean-Francois Millet was Charles' main influence because as Millet painted the French peasants Dawson wanted to paint "the Negro in everyday life.”

Aaron Douglas (1899 – 1979)

Aaron Douglas is known as a key artist in the Harlem Renaissance, which was an intellectual and cultural movement that aimed to challenge the pervading racism and stereotypes against African Americans through the production of literature, art and music, as well as promoting progressive and socialist politics.

Douglas' blending of Art Deco, Art Nouveau and distinctly African styles with connections to African masks and dances made him a unique artist. It wasn't a surprise when he became the most sought-after illustrator for black writers of his time.

Aaron was inspired by Harlem's nightlife, his designs and depictions of the black urban scene references his vivid lifestyle.

Leroy Winbush (1915 – 2007)

Leroy was a graphic designer based in Chicago. His inspiration and mentors at the time were sign designers on Chicago’s South Side. He began creating signage, flyers, and murals for the Regal Theater, where he met some of the most famous black musicians of the time. Winbush was adamant in his desire to be remembered as a “good designer,” as opposed to a “Black designer.”

But he also made airbrush paintings depicting semi-nude black models as you can see above. "The Solid Side" (in the middle) showcasing a couple with a jazz motif behind them, was signed in the bottom right corner and know goes for around 2000 dollars.

In 1945 Winbush founded his own firm, Winbush Associates. Winbush was known as a successful businessman and entrepreneur. One of Winbush's successes was to develop a market designing window displays for Chicago's banks.

Eugene Winslow (1919 – 2001)

From an early age, Eugene Winslow’s parents (both of which had college degrees) stressed the importance of education and encouraged Eugene and his 6 siblings to study the arts. Winslow followed his patrons desires and graduated from Dillard University, receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

Throughout his early career, Winslow supplemented the income from his art by teaching and working as a newspaper cartoonist, advertising designer, and engineering draftsman. Until in 1963, Winslow joined two friends to start Afro-Am Publishing where he was able to create his own projects.

As an artist, designer, businessman, and entrepreneur, Winslow always sought to promote racial integration wherever possible.

Georg Olden (1920 – 1975)

Georg was the son of an escaped slave father and an opera-singing mother. Olden's revolutionary designs helped pave the way for African Americans in the corporate world.

Georg Olden was a college dropout. But the reason for his withdrawal from school was unusual to say the least. He took an offer to work as a graphic designer for the CIA’s predecessor, The Office of Strategic Services. The connections he made helped him land a position as Head of Network Division of On-Air Promotions at CBS in 1945.

In CBS, he worked on programs such as Gunsmoke (an American radio and television Western drama series), I Love Lucy (an American television sitcom of unprecedented fame) The Alfred Hitchcock Show (which probably needs no introduction) and eventually went on to work on the vote-tallying scoreboard for the first televised Presidential Election in 1952.

This list could go on much longer with graphic designer such as Art Sims who created most film posters for Spike Lee, or Emory Douglas who whilst working on The Black Panther, coined and popularized the term “pigs” in reference to police officers, or even Archie Boston, Sylvia Harris, Gail Anderson, just to name a few...

If you are on a search for graphic design references, Domestika has you covered, with many more examples and courses so that you could start influencing other artists too:

- Graphic design courses
- Graphic designers you should know An article by Michelle Ahern
- Graphic design books An article by Karen Mercado