Masters of design.

When Paul R. Williams became a certified architect in 1915, he knew he would have to fight to gain the attention of peers and clients alike. At a time when blacks were expected to impart brawn over brain, Williams remained steadfast, noting, "If I allow the fact that I am a Negro to checkmate my will to do, I will inevitably form the habit of being defeated." Williams went on to open his own architectural firm at age 28 and is credited with completing some 3,000 projects, including the Shrine Auditorium, the United Nations Building in Paris, and the Beverly Hills Hotel. He also designed homes for Hollywood elite, including Lucille Ball and Frank Sinatra.

Williams was not alone in his accomplishments. Industrial designers look at the works of Thomas Day, a free cabinetmaker who lived and worked in North Carolina from the early 1820s to the early 1860s. By 1850, he owned the largest furniture company in North Carolina. And because he was one of the earliest furniture makers to use steam-powered tools and mass production techniques, he is considered one of the early founders of the modern Southern furniture industry. Down the road, the auto industry would be graced with the works of McKinley Thompson, who is one of the first African American car designers at Ford Motor Co. in the 1950s. Thompson's handiwork can also be found on early models of the Ford Falcon, Ford Mustang, and Mercury Cougar.

These are but a few examples of the extraordinary works of African American designers who served as trailblazers in a field where much of their work went undocumented. In recognition of these pioneers, BLACK ENTERPRISE explores today's innovators of design in our cover story, "Form & Function."

Highlighted are the works of leading industrial, architecture, automotive, technology, and interior designers. "The vast contribution of the African American design community continues to be overlooked. When national magazines dedicate their pages to highlighting style and design innovation, they rarely include the work of black designers," says Editor-at-Large Carolyn Brown, who oversaw development of the story.

Take our cover subject, Ralph Gilles. One of the hottest automotive designers to date, Gilles led the team that designed the Chrysler 300C. It's a bullet on wheels--slick and stylish. And then there's Michael J. Blyden, an engineer for Boeing who designs C-17 military aircrafts--supercargo carriers for anything the military wants to move from Humvees to foodstuff. For interior design, two women earned their way onto the pages of RE: Courtney Sloane and Cheryl R. Riley. Sloane is hot in Hollywood, having designed for Queen Latifah, Sean Combs, and Damon Dash, while Riley designs custom pieces, some of which have been shown at the Smithsonian Institute.

"This issue is significant in that the 14 professionals we recognize are merely a glimpse of the impressive black talent that is out there," says Brown. So the next time you go in search of the newest hot thing, look at the label closely. There might be an African American stamp on it.

--The Editors