Founded in Detroit in 1903, Ford Motor Company has made history time and time again through its grand breakthroughs in the motor vehicle industry. However, one breakthrough wasn't made until 80 years later when the company hired its first black female designer: Emeline King.
According to Black Enterprise, King was the daughter of a fabrication specialist for Ford Motors and grew up learning the ins and outs of dozens of models and designs from the company. When asked about her childhood, King responds, "I loved to play with toy cars when I was a child. It was like an insult to give me a doll."
Her love of cars didn't diminish as she grew up, however. In 1983, King was hired by Ford as their very first black female designer. Her accomplishments would continue from there as she later designed the stunning 1994 Ford Mustang Interior, which would later win 'car of the year'.
Fox 2 Detroit writes that King later worked on the 1989 Thunderbird. But she's made more of a name for herself outside of the Ford Motor Company. King is a proud author, motivational speaker, and musician who has more recently become the owner of King Enterprises LLC. In an interview with King from 2021, she states: "One of the most rewarding things about sharing my story is my new interaction with Ford and Mustang enthusiasts. There’s satisfaction knowing that I helped design vehicles that were able to give them an experience of a lifetime."
