As we continue to uplift the work of African American entrepreneurs during Black History Month we would like to highlight Kristopher Stith or as he prefers, Krisa multidisciplinary artist with a predilection for design.
He began his journey as an artist in Anacostia, an underserved area in Southeast Washington, D.C. using the books and materials his grandmother gave he and his twin brother Keagoé. His passion for art took he and his twin brother to Duke Ellington School of the Arts, where they both enrolled in the Visual Arts department. While at Duke, he underwent classical training in art in the Western tradition as well in digital media. Upon graduation, he entered American University where he gained a basic understanding of the principals of design which he combined with his own independent study outside the confines of the ivory tower.
Now working at AFSCME as a Digital Graphic Artist, he continues to create work for its membership as well as clients outside the realm of the labor movement.
Kris shared his talents with the NAACP back in 2018, when he designed graphics for the I AM 2018 campaign and the VOTE: Our Lives Depend On It campaign. We spoke with Kris to get a glimpse on his graphic design experience and what it was like to work with the NAACP on such a powerful campaign. Here’s what he had to say:
How long have you been doing graphic design work?
I have been doing work in graphic design since I was a teenager in southeast Washington, D.C. As a youth, I was a member of the organization Facilitating Leadership in Youth (F.L.Y.) which serviced “at risk” youth in the Barry Farm and Parkchester housing communities in the late ’90s into the early 2010s. The program provided a myriad of opportunities including access to computers, which were a scarcity at the time, as well as the ability to use American University’s facilities.
While in F.L.Y. I learned the basics of Photoshop and screen printing which were both put to use in a short-lived t-shirt company. I stayed up-to-date on new trends and technologies by delving into costume design and digital art while at Duke Ellington School of the Arts and my poured my skills into a small print design business while earning my bachelors at American University.
I now design for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and provide creative direction via print and digital branding solutions for organizations large and small. With over ten years of experience, I still feel as if I have only begun to scratch the surface in terms of my ability and what I have to offer.
How did you get involved with the NAACP?
I got fully involved in the NAACP last year while providing creative direction for I AM 2018, an initiative started by AFSCME in order to commemorate the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike and to bolster the connection between MLK, Civil Rights, Labor and socioeconomic equity and reform. While on the team I was able to meet and work with many great people including Kenny Diggs, Myisha Gatson, Arlene Holt Baker, Dr. Zina Pierre, the NAACP’s own Jamal Watkins, and the late Paul Booth. I credit them as well as others on the campaign with helping me to become the professional I am today.
I have also been involved with or in the realm of NAACP when I worked as a youth advocate on nonviolence and gun reform in D.C. area while in F.L.Y. It was hard, thankless work but I am grateful to have been a part of such a great organization.
How did you come up with the concept for the NAACP Vote graphics?
I am weird and I generally come up with stuff on the spot and just execute. I generally like to do research on a topic if I am not to familiar with the subject matter, target demos or goals of the campaign but Vote Our Lives Depend On It (VOLDOI) just spoke to me. The phrase itself described what I feel is the growing consensus amongst most people in America that voting is only way to affect change and make your voice heard.
At the same time, I wanted to illustrate the need to come together and move away from the dynamics of I and get back to the mechanics of us. I personally think the raised fist motif is lame even though I understand it as a universal image of resistance. So I played on the idea of the fist and that is how I got to the clasped hands. The illustration of the man and woman were an update to the soul brother and sister concept. I still watch movies like I’m Gonna Get You Sucka, Super Fly and Foxy Brown “to this day” and I wanted to bring those strong idealized figures of blackness into the present.
What did it mean to you to be able to work with the nation’s oldest and most recognized civil rights organization?
To work with the NAACP on such an important campaign really was an honor. When I received the news that I would be working on the campaign I called my grandma and she was like, “That’s my baby”. It just made me feel good to know that my work would be able to inspire change at such a prestigious level.
What advice would you give a young person looking to get into graphic design?
I would say these three things:
- Do work that represents you
- Don’t work for free
- Do something creative every day
