A CHAT WITH CELEBRATED
ILLUSTRATOR GEORGE FORD
GEORGE FORD's career as an artist/illustrator spans more than forty five years, and includes the period of the sixties and seventies when work for African-American artists and writers in children's book publishing was virtually nil. George's tenacity, dedication and sense of mission, along with a few others, helped to foster some changes in the industry, although the struggle for inclusion and diversity, even in 2013, still goes on.
George is the first recipient of the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration for the book Ray Charles, and he has illustrated more than thirty books for children, including Bright Eyes, Brown Skin andJamal's Busy Day, both published by Just Us Books. We had an opportunity to chat with the veteran artist recently about his journey as an illustrator and the current state of children's book publishing.
Q. George, you are one of the trailblazers of multicultural and black children’s book publishing. Your career and your legacy in the industry cover more than 45 years. What are some of the high points of your distinguished career?
Receiving the first Coretta Scott King Award in 1974 for the illustrations in Ray Charles. The awards ceremony was in New York and my parents and sister were able to come. I considered the Coretta Scott King Award more important than the Caldecott because it is given for artwork of inspirational value to black children. It was the first award for black illustrators, and it was needed. Another high point was discovering that Just Us Books was doing what I wanted to see done. I felt exhilarated at the prospect of working with the first company doing books for black children as their primary mission.
George Ford at the Harlem Book Fair.
Q. When you first started your career, getting assignments to illustrate children’s books had to be extremely challenging. What was it like at that time?
Coming out of art school, it was generally agreed that there was no outlet for black artists; there was unfair discrimination. My own instructors said as much. There were no books about black children, or hardly any, so there was no great incentive for a black artist to aspire to an art career. But I actually found that there were talented black people who were working in the commercial art field, working on subjects that did not depict black life. I worked in greeting cards and others did record covers or illustrated for magazines like The Reporter and Look, or illustrations for advertisements, not necessarily for black products but advertisements for national brands. The Civil Rights Movement fueled the expression of black identity and things slowly began to change. For me it was more important to be a black artist than just an artist.
Q. How were you able to overcome the discrimination and Ivory Tower mentality of publishing to find work, at least some work, in the industry?
Parents and librarians wanted more black books for children. People were demanding material and demanding authenticity; not the stereotypes prevalent in society. Now the publishers needed black illustrators; it was more difficult for them to deny an authentic black voice.
Q. As you know, the number of books published and the amount of work available for artists and writers of color ebbs and flows. Even during the good times the number of books written and/or illustrated by people of color is far fewer than their percentage of our nation’s population. Do you see it changing any time soon?
If it’s going to change, our young people need to make it happen. We need to foster more creative expression among our young people. We need to reverse the current trend of demonizing and marginalizing black youth. We need more action by black people. We must renew the push for more workers in the industry. We need more black publishing companies for children, like Just Us Books, and more young people willing to dedicate themselves to making change happen.
Q. Is there any advice you would like to share with aspiring artists looking to get into the children’s book industry?
What I say to every aspiring artist I talk to is, be a reader; make yourself aware of which publishers are doing the kinds of books you would like to see. Different publishers do different styles of books. If no one is doing what you want to see done, that is no reason to abandon your passion, your style, or your interest. Your true value as an artist is in the unique quality of your work. But your work has to be seen by art directors and editors so you need to get polished and make the rounds. Maybe you will be the one to bring what you want to see to the publisher who isn’t doing it yet.
Share the Stories with Wade and Cheryl Hudson
Meeting the authors and illustrators who create their favorite books can be an exciting experience for children and adults alike. Many Just Us Books authors and illustrators are available for school visits, workshops, panels and other special events that help make books come alive.
With dual roles as publishers and authors, Wade and Cheryl Hudson offer unique perspectives into the world of children’s literature, education, diversity, publishing and entrepreneurship. Their expertise spans many areas, including: The ABCs of Children's Book Publishing, Creative Children's Book Writing, Marketing and Distribution, Building a Curriculum of Diversity, Multicultural Children’s Book Publishing, Building a Business and Marketing to an Under-Served or Niche Market.
To arrange a school visit, community event or speaking engagement, please contact Katura Hudson @ katura_hudson@justusbooks.com or call (973) 672-7701.
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