HERE: Where the Black Designers Are

by Cheryl D. Holmes-Miller

“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

“HERE: Where the Black Designers Are” forms a compelling narrative that really delves into the historical and contemporary challenges faced by Black designers in the graphic design industry. Cheryl masterfully navigates this journey, advocating for the visibility and recognition of Black designers while also connecting the dots through personal anecdotes, research, interviews, and reflections on the industry’s systemic barriers. The book serves as a poignant call to action for the entire design world, making it a must-read for anyone passionate about fostering a more inclusive creative community.” ―Maurice Cherry, creator and host of Revision Path

“Cheryl D. Holmes-Miller commands extraordinary gifts. She has turned time itself on its head, bringing an unseen, when not overlooked, history of design vividly into the present in a dazzling book that anyone who loves design will embrace. She guides us through once-ignored stories and work in such a powerful way that they become not only relevant but instantly unforgettable. We have almost six thousand books in our working library. HERE: Where the Black Designers Are is the most important and ultimately joyful addition we’ve ever made.” ―Brian Collins, COLLINS

“Cheryl D. Holmes-Miller has researched and written brilliantly on the fault lines of how Black designers played key roles in the history of American art and design. This book comes from five decades of education, archival research, and teaching, and lifts the blight of erasure and negation of Black designers’ contributions, into the light of critical recognition and respect. This is an essential read for any and all entities who seek to more fully comprehend the ways in which African Americans have made exemplary contributions to the complexities of the vastly diverse infrastructures crucial to the foundations of America’s character and identity.” ―Leslie King-Hammond, professor emerita and founding director, Center for Race and Culture, Maryland Institute College of Art

“In the long struggle for equity and representation in the design professions, Cheryl D. Holmes-Miller’s voice has been loud and clear, not for years but for decades. Hers is a story with important lessons for all of us. We should all be grateful she is here to tell it.” ―Michael Bierut, partner, Pentagram

Paperback | 240 pages | Princeton Architectural Press | Oct 15, 2024

Cheryl D. Holmes-Miller is the leading voice for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the graphic design industry. Holmes-Miller is an American BIPOC communications designer, writer, artist, activist, and theologian, best known as a design justice advocate and decolonizing historian. She lectures widely, and in 2023–24 was Professor of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Communication Design, ArtCenter College of Design; Distinguished Senior Lecturer in Design at the University of Texas at Austin School of Design and Creative Technologies; lecturer at Howard University; and adjunct at the University of Connecticut. Holmes-Miller has been awarded the AIGA Medal and a Cooper Hewitt National Design Award as a Design Visionary, and she is a One Club Creative Hall of Fame inductee and an IBM Honorary Design Scholar.

Crystal Williams is current president of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).