Segregated or Sustainable? In his book, A Life’s Design, world-renown African-American industrial designer Charles Harrison starts with his story of life in rural Louisiana and Texas under Jim Crow. “At Prairie View,” he says, “we were all African Americans, so there was no segregation. We saw white people only when they came to the hospital or brought us deliveries.
“The place was very self-sufficient. It had its own diary, hospital, veterinary hospital, bakeries, pharmacist, service station, fire department and even a one-man police department.” Observations like this woven with the story of how he created hundreds of America’s most iconic collectibles like The View Master, make A Life’s Design the perfect read for a deep look at hidden Black history.
