National Urban League

The National Urban League is a nonprofit that enables African Americans to secure economic self-reliance, parity, power, and civil rights. Their annual capstone publication, State of Black America, contains engaging commentary backed by well-documented statistics in the areas of economics, health, education, social justice, and civic engagement, which provides an accurate assessment of the state of racial equality in our country.

The 2013 issue of the State of Black America also marked two important milestones: the 50th Anniversary of the Great March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom; and 150 years since the Emancipation Proclamation. The book would further serve as a keepsake for the Urban League affiliates which inspired us to develop a unique solution for the cover. We aimed to capture the new American dream by creating two covers featuring simple profiles of a young boy and a young girl. The black ink used for each child's photo overprints on a metallic gold flood of ink and creates a dramatic effect. The interior incorporates typography inspired by protest signs of the 60s, as a tribute to those who fought for equality.