For a small city in the smallest state, Rhode Island has produced outsized Black artists in a variety of genres. In the 19th century, artists such as Sissieretta Jones, Nancy Elizabeth Prophet, and Christiana Cartreaux Bannister brought music, visual art, and style to the city. The 20th century saw artists such as Mahler B. Ryder and Cheryl Miller further Black art and design here and in the world. After attending Rhode Island School of Design (specifically to work with Ryder), Cheryl Miller went on to become a pioneering Black female graphic designer in the United States. Mahler Ryder, Illustration Professor at RISD, had an illustrious career that included a show at the Whitney Museum. Rhode Island continues to attract and produce artists, musicians, and designers of world-wide acclaim. The legacy that these past artists created lives on in the creative output of Rhode Island artists of all backgrounds today. We all stand on the shoulders of the greatness that came before.

--Ulli K. Ryder, Ph.D.