In Black, Brown + Latinx Design Educators, Kelly Walters collects
twelve deeply personal interviews with graphic design educators of
color who teach at colleges and universities across the United States
and Canada. BIPOC design educators often find themselves in design
spaces where they struggle as the only person of color at their school
or workplace. Their impactful stories offer invaluable perspectives for
students and emerging designers of color, creating an entry point to
address the complexities of race in design and bring to light the
challenges of teaching graphic design at different types of public and
private institutions.
The book centers the educators' unique
narratives, from their childhood experiences to their navigation of
undergraduate and graduate studies and their career paths in academia
and practice. The interviewees represent a cross-section of ethnic and
multiracial backgrounds—African American, Jamaican, Indian, Pakistani,
Puerto Rican, Dominican, Mexican, and Brazilian. Interwoven throughout
the book are a collection of images that maintain cultural significance,
from family heirlooms and photos to design works that highlight aspects
of their cultural identities. Readers will gain insight into the
multitude of experiences from BIPOC design educators who teach and work
in the field today.