Kadir Nelson was born on May 15, 1974. He is a painter, illustrator, and author. His work is focused on African American culture and history. His illustrations for the book The Undefeated (written by Kwame Alexander) won the Caldecott Medal in 2020.

Kadir has also designed stamps for the U.S. Postal Service and album covers for Drake. He also painted the official portrait of U.S. Representative Shirley Anita Chisolm.