About Frederick Douglass
Designs
Step into our pathway of positive pictures gallery of artistic African American
Expressions created for everyday use.
Our family owned company began publishing greeting cards because we could not find pleasing images of African American people in the market place. Our intuition was right. Beautiful images of Black people did find a receptive market, and from a first printing of 50 thousand Christmas cards in 1983, we now sell well over one million Holiday cards. With this steady investment of customer confidence, we've worked with artists to create other sensitive reflections of African American life on all occasion cards, art prints and music boxes. Browse here and linger at your leisure.
Who we are
Our story begins with our grandfather, James Dashiell, born in slavery in 1861, and his wife Lula, who developed a small business to shield their family from the crazy whims and rules of segregation in early 20th century Texas. Transplanted to California, our father and his brother went to "work for themselves" in the 1930's and 40's when discrimination in the workplace was an open fact. In the family line, we are the third generation of small business people to embrace their values of hard work, quality service and faith that our community, however battered, can win the struggle for equality. In the 1980's, a loan from our parents helped pay the printer and launch the Frederick Douglass campaign for positive pictures of Black people on store shelves everywhere.
New technology-new times-new promise
Today, with the privilege and promise of a more powerful, far reaching, interactive technology, we can leap beyond our print catalog and expose our expanding number of images to a worldwide audience. Stepping up to a new millennium, we are inspired to create ever more bold and beautiful new items. But please know, dear fellow net traveler, that it is you, who will, with the immediacy of your messages, give us the feedback that guides the direction of our new work.
To our current customers, our backbone, THANK-YOU for bringing us so far from our beginnings in a family home basement 24 years ago. To our new customers, again, a warm welcome.
Margot Dashiell
President
|
Mailing Address |
|
PO Box 8738 |
All materials © 1996, Frederick Douglass Designs
Site Design by: Alex Ramirez
