Selma Burke (born December 31, 1900) was an American sculptor and educator who is best known for her sculpture of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, which can be seen on the U.S. dime. Burke herself wrote to Roosevelt to request a live sitting, and in 1944, the president generously agreed to have her sculpt his portrait.
Sadly, it is not highly publicized that she is responsible for an image that appears on a coin that millions of Americans use every single day. Even more, many people don’t know that she also created many other portraits of prominent African-Americans like Duke Ellington, Mary McLeod Bethune and Booker T. Washington.
For the full story, visit BlackHistory.com.
