Emory Douglas, the designer and illustrator behind the Black Panther Party (BPP) Newspaper, is one of the reasons I became a graphic designer. His illustrations could agitate readers with urgency, and name the root of struggle with such clarity. When I got the opportunity to help build a community newspaper from the ground-up, it was a dream come true. Not only is journalism a tool for organizing and community political education, but in a time of corporate-owned media and misinformation, journalism is necessary for our collective understanding of the world around us.

Branding.

There was no shortage of inspiration from the profound media makers of past organizations. From Emory Douglas’s bold illustrations in the BPP Newspaper to the combination of hand drawn type and illustrations in La Raza and the Y.L.O. newspaper to the photo collages of Gidra — there were giants who came before us who we wanted to pay homage to.

The logo lettering was informed by the variety of fonts needed during the typesetting process of the early printing presses. Using varying widths in the logo lent a moving magnifying effect, as if the reader was zooming in on something more closely. With media companies so heavily influenced by their shareholders and profits, it is All Rise’s hope to investigate, or zoom in and out on, the broader systems which dictate our struggles.

The symbol in the middle depicts a geometric fist on top of a shape reminiscent of Islamic geometry, since many members of the organizations involved were Muslim.

The typography used for headlines needed to bold and easily readable from afar. We wanted readers to be able to skim the headlines easily to choose which article to focus on. The body copy serif font was a more traditional choice for ease of readability and to gain a certain authority and trust.

Designing the Newspaper.

Much like the BPP Newspaper, we wanted the cover to be a single art piece that would call people’s attention to a particular issue or story. I imagined people reading the paper in coffee shops and bus stops, and acting like political education billboards hidden in plain sight. We also decided to use a duotone palette that would make each issue feel distinct and let our frequent readers know right away when a new issue was out.

The images for each article combined photo and illustration into collages that could help readers rethink how seemingly separate pieces fit together.

Check out each print issue below or read the stories on the All Rise Substack. And if you’re feeling generous, please make a donation to keep this project going.

All Rise Team

Many thanks to the incredible journalists that make up the All Rise team and all those who have contributed art, poetry, and writing!

• Asma Abdi
• Askari Abdul-Muntaqim
• Lucky Aden
• Lon Chhay
• Khalid Alexander
• Mariam Mahmoud
• Nick Martin
• Jesse Marx
• Shaheed Price
• Maya Srikrishnan
• Stacey Uy
• Michael Whyte, Jr.
• Mitchelle Woodson