In 1983, she was hired by Ford Motor Company, and became the first Black woman designer for the automobile manufacturer.
[4][5] Emeline King was born on December 16, 1957, in Detroit, Michigan,[6] into a Black family.
King Sr. worked as fabrication specialist at Ford Motor Company in Detroit, and from a young age she was exposed to car design.
[7][4][14][15] King also made design contributions to other vehicle models, including the interior components in the 1989–1990 Ford Thunderbird (tenth generation); the 1993 Ford Mustang Mach III; the 1994 official pace car roll bar and graphics for the Ford Mustang; the 2000 two-seater Ford Thunderbird interior components; and the 2004 Lincoln Aviator interior door scuff panel and interior components.
[8] After leaving Ford Motor Company, King wrote her autobiography, "What Do You Mean A Black Girl Can't Design?