Strikethrough: Typographic Message Of Protest

Discover how the written word has powered social change in Strikethrough: Typographic Messages of Protest, a striking visual history by designer and scholar Silas Munro. Organized around the rallying cries RESIST!, VOTE!, STRIKE!, TEACH!, and LOVE!, this hardcover volume traces more than a century and a half of activist graphic design—from 19th-century antislavery broadsides to the colorful posters of the 1968 Paris uprising, the Black Panther Party’s newspaper, AIDS-crisis “Silence=Death” imagery, and the handmade signs of the Black Lives Matter movement. Packed with over 250 vivid, high-resolution images pulled from Letterform Archive’s collection, it’s an essential addition to any bookshelf for graphic designers, typographers, historians, and activists alike.

Beyond the imagery, this collector-worthy book digs into the people behind the protest: ten in-depth designer profiles cover icons like Corita Kent, Emory Douglas, Ben Shahn, and Favianna Rodriguez, while an introduction by design scholar Colette Gaiter and a typographic essay by Stephen Coles add scholarly depth. The edition even includes a custom display typeface by Tré Seals, drawn from historical protest lettering. Critics have taken notice—PRINT magazine calls it a “breakthrough on three levels,” while Eye magazine names it required reading for “present and future designers, typographers, activists, and students.” Whether you’re building a graphic design library, researching social movements, or simply drawn to the power of type as a tool for change, Strikethrough delivers a compelling, image-rich journey from the printed page to the streets.