Emory Douglas is an American graphic artist who became known for his involvement in the Black Panther party. Their mission was to improve the lives of African Americans by calling for resistance and change, as well providing social services to their communities. Emory Douglas was the minister of culture for the Black Panther Party from 1967 until its discontinuation in the early 1980s. Douglas’s art and design concepts were always seen on the front and back pages of the Black Panther Newspaper, reflecting the politics of the Black Panther Party and the concerns of the community. His powerful visuals helped define the style of the group’s newspapers, posters, and pamphlets. In 2011, Iniva’s ‘Significant Voices’ talks series invited Douglas to discuss his life, work and involvements with the Black Panther Party.
His works have been shown in a number of institutions including at The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles(2007-2008); The Urbis Arts Museum, Manchester (2009); Biennale of Sydney, Australia, (2008); Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (2006); the African American Art & Cultural Complex, in San Francisco; and recently at Tate Modern, London (2017) where his work was shown as part of the exhibition ‘Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power’.
Douglas trained at City College of San Francisco by taking courses on commercial design where he gained valuable experience with design techniques, print publication, and art critique.
He lives and works in San Francisco.