Google is marking Martin Luther King Day with a doodle designed by guest artist Cannaday Chapman, a professional artist and illustrator.
According to Chapman, his image of a young girl on her father’s shoulders listening to Dr. King speak is meant to evoke Dr. King’s dream of creating a better world for all children.
“It may appear that this movement or any civil rights movement was brought about by one person, but it’s the people that have the power to bring change,” says Chapman, whose artwork highlights Dr. King’s audience versus depicting an image of the civil rights champion.
Leading to a search for “Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2018,” the doodle was created in collaboration with the Black Googlers Network, an internal employee group focused on empowering Google’s black community.
Chapman says he wants his artwork on Google’s home page to inspire people to reflect on this moment in history.
“I would like people to remember that current events and our actions today will shape the future generations of tomorrow. What kind of example do we want to set for our children and our children’s children?”
When asked what Martin Luther King Day means to him, Chapman says Dr. King’s message is especially relevant for today and the remainder of civilization.
“Dr. King is most remembered for fighting for the rights of African Americans, but he fought for the rights of all Americans. He believed in fairness and equity for everyone,” says Chapman, “As a black man, I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing today if it wasn’t for him and the brave people of the civil rights movement.”
In addition to publishing an interview with Chapman on the Google Doodle Blog, Google shared a few of his initial sketches for the doodle:
Here is the full Martin Luther King Day image currently on Google’s home page:
Chapman’s work has appeared in a number of well-known publications, including The New Yorker, The New York Times and Oprah Magazine — and now Google’s home page in the US.
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