Honoring Black Excellence On and Off the Rink

For more than 15 years, roller skating has been an incredible outlet for movement, music, healing, and community. Even though I haven’t been able to skate as much lately, roller skating continues to inspire me. In fact, reflecting on its history and much of the creativity behind it has provided a small spark toward a creative project I’m excited to share with you now.

Portraits of Excellence is a living, digital illustrated tribute that celebrates the vital role of Black artistry in shaping American culture. Blending the playful charm of Saturday morning cartoons with the timeless nobility of classical Greek busts, each original portrait spotlights a Black icon whose influence continues to shape culture today.

Roller skating alone carries a huge history of Black creativity that’s influenced everything from dance to popular music:

• If it wasn’t for a black man, Bill Butler, we’d all likely still be skating to organ music at the local rink.
• Black roller skating communities had a tremendous influence on American dance music genres like house, Miami bass, disco, funk, etc.
• When early hip-hop performers were largely shut out by white venue owners, roller skating rinks gave them a place to shine.
• Since the 2020 Co-vid pandemic, many new skaters have discovered quad skating outdoors. However, one of the countries’ longest-running advocates for outdoor roller skating is a black man, David Miles Jr. out of San Francisco, CA.

There are countless stories like this across music, science, politics, business, and beyond. So much of the things we take for granted in our daily lives; music, style, language, and more, has roots in Black creativity. That influence deserves recognition more than just one month a year. For me, it’s always been part of my life and the culture that shaped me. And in the face of today’s political and cultural backlash, I believe amplifying this truth is vital.

Visit portraitsofexcellence.com to explore the online gallery updated monthly.

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