Why Selma Burke Still Matters: A Legacy Carved in Courage

Selma Hortense Burke may not be a household name, but her imprint is on millions of hands every single day. Her art speaks, her story inspires, and her legacy commands attention. Yet for far too long, her brilliance has been tucked into the quiet corners of American history, mentioned in passing, footnoted, or simply forgotten.

But Selma Burke still matters.

She matters because she dared to become a sculptor when Black women were expected to stay silent. She matters because she carved her way into rooms where she was not invited. And she matters because she created work that shaped the very image of a nation, even when she was not credited for it.

Her portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt, which appears on the U.S. dime, is a reminder that truth cannot stay buried forever. Burke had the courage to see herself as an artist when the world did not. She believed her gifts were worthy of light. And she worked, carved, molded, and fought until the world had to acknowledge what God had put in her hands.

Her story matters not just in art history, but in every story of perseverance, faith, excellence, and calling.

I wrote Graven Images because Selma’s voice deserves to be heard in full. And her journey reminds us of a timeless truth: your purpose cannot be erased when God Himself engraved it.

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