Cleopatra Jones Movie Poster 1973

Advertisements that have African Americans as the main focus during and after the Civil Rights Movement. This would fall in the category of American Modernism in which these examples are important and/ or are historical in graphic design history, having a black person(s) front and center in the 20th century is important for representation purposes, especially in times after the Civil Rights Movements. In the past, around from the late 19th century to the 1960s, black people have had a very tainted reputation when it came to advertisements. Showing African Americans as  inferior to white people, made a mockery of with racist caricatures, or shown as inhuman/ animals.The depiction of African Americans in these posters are as normal people, even having them as “main characters” and not props to make a person of lighter complexion look better.

This poster for the Cleopatra Jones film shows actress Tamara Dobson as the lead actress for the film. The 70s were considered the “Golden Era” for African Americans, black culture, media, music, art, and cultural pride. Having a dark skinned woman as the main focus and lead of the film is a big step in the right direction for African Americans.