Douglas explored African themes and sought to make his cultural heritage relevant to contemporary African-American experience

His illustrations appeared with Reiss's in the 1925 book, The New Negro; this volume is said to have played an important role in giving an identity to the literary circle of the Harlem Renaissance. As a member of the Renaissance circle, Douglas illustrated books by Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes, and James Weldon Johnson. His illustrations also appeared in Vanity Fair, Theatre Arts, and American Mercury.

Peice of Art: Into Bondage
This picture shows African soon to be slaves getting onto ships going to the new world. The men and the tropical trees (to represent Africa) are blue, but the chains around the hand of the man are a contrasting pale orange. The is also a light looking down into the eyes of one of the black men, suggesting that someone is watching over the men. That they live under the same sky and higher as everyone else, and should be treated equally.