Written by Lexx Thornton
Emeline King was Ford’s first Black woman designer-hired in 1983. She also worked on the 1989 Thunderbird-the wheel program, the 2000 Thunderbird, and designed cars in Europe.
It was a dream she had had since she was a little girl, when her dad-Earnest King-a fabrication specialist at Ford, took her to the company Christmas party at the Design Center.
“He said in order to get behind those blue doors-first of all, you have to be a transportation designer because there are men who sit behind these doors and they design cars,” she said. Right then, she knew she would join them.
“So I made a promise that day, I must have been about 11 that there were three things I was going to do,” she said. “And number one was to become a transportation designer-the second was to work there at the Ford Motor Company-and the third was to work there with my biggest mentor of all-my father.”
A Cass Tech graduate, she went to Wayne State University-the College for Creative Studies and then the Art Center College of Design in California.
After graduating-she refused to interview with anyone but Ford.
“My mother thought I just blew it, ‘Oh Emeline- your career is over-you’re not going to get a chance.’ But as it happened, I was able to meet with Mr. Jack Telnack and so I was hired in.”Emeline fulfilled all those dreams-including working with her father-who never had any doubt.
“I didn’t have no idea that they would not hire her-because she had the qualifications,” he said.”I was so glad that shewent.””Can you imagine that day-on that morning when my father and I were leaving to work together,” she said. “We’re in the showroom-where my father would take me for the Christmas party.”
Talk about coming full circle-or in this case-full oval-and when the re-design of the 1964Mustang was announced-she knew she wanted in-and she knew-as a woman-she had a lot to offer.
“I’m coming from it from a woman or a female point of view,” she said. “I was thinking aboutnot breaking a fingernail-making sure the knobs were soft. I was making sure that in my design features for the 1994 Mustang, we’d be able to get in and out of the vehicle without splitting a skirt.”
Emeline King made her mark-but even she wasn’t safe in 2008 when the bottom fell out for the auto industry-one week shy of 25 years at Ford-they let her go.
But she says that gave her the opportunity to pursue her art and music-and write her book.”‘What do you mean a Black girl can’t design cars Emeline King she did it,'” she said.
Indeed, she did-and now the 64-year-old hopes to open a STEM Academy for girls who dare to dream-hoping her story-inspires others.
“A lot of times I tell a lot of young ladies-and little girls-do not let anyone discourage you or tell you what you can’t become,” Emeline said. “If Emeline King can do it-so can you.”
Her book is available at emeline king.com as well as Amazon, Target, and Barnes and Noble.
