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BEHIND THE STRIPES

Beltline Kevin

By Atlanta United FC

October 10^th, 2025

As he rolls his wheels on down the Beltline, Kevin sings one of his favorite songs ever: Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A.”. He greets everyone, handing out high fives and smiles like it’s his job. To him, spreading positivity is.

He’s become synonymous with the Beltline for his smooth rollerblading, his infectious singing and, above all, his vibes. Kevin Randolph, known by the city of Atlanta as Beltline Kevin, is beloved everywhere he rolls. Just watching his wholesome interactions with folks who would be, to anyone else, strangers passing by makes that much clear. Kevin doesn’t really believe in strangers.

“I've been me all this time,” Kevin said. “I’ve always been popular around here, but the internet was really what made it just go crazy.”

The rollerblades he wears every day are accented by rainbow laces.

“I had to represent some way,” he said. “That's my little subtle way.”

Kevin lives a life of celebration of music, of human connections, of Pride. He’s experienced life as a gay man in many different environments, all of which have shaped who he is today as an icon of Atlanta. It’s here that he feels welcomed, that he can make an impact on the community around him, that he can help people enjoy life.

Becoming Beltline Kevin

The man who doesn’t have the word shy in his dictionary wasn’t always this outgoing. There’s a difference between Kevin Randolph and Beltline Kevin.

The first thing he developed was the personality. Kevin looks back on his childhood with a comedic comparison to a sitcom character.

“Kevin [was] pretty shy and geeky,” he said. “I used to be like Urkel [from Family Matters] when I was growing up. I played chess, calculus for lunch and physics for dinner. I was really smart, really nerdy and everything. I had everything but the glasses with the tape on them.”

The next step was the blades. They’re a trademark of Beltline Kevin’s brand. He said he used to run long distance, but the years took a toll on his knees. Rollerblading, on the other hand, he can do for four, five hours these days. It’s the perfect way to get outside and get around.

Last but the furthest thing from least, the final element: the singing.

“Oh, [the singing] was after [COVID]. I wasn't shy, but I just wasn't singing,” Kevin said. “I was still skating, but I was just somewhat normal. I've never been normal normal, no, but I was somewhat normal.”

Whatever his definition of “somewhat normal” is, it ended when he embraced his love for music on his afternoon rollerblading runs. Kevin had musical intuition from the jump, playing in marching band growing up, minoring in ballet in college, singing in a Gay Men’s Chorus in Atlanta.

“I've always been into music. I just love it,” Kevin said. “They say really smart people love music, because of the notes and scales and different things.”

Making that leap — from just listening himself to singing along and encouraging others to join in as they pass him on the trail — completed the man we now know as Beltline Kevin. He was motivated to bridge that gap after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“After [COVID], people were really catatonic coming out here,” Kevin said. “You saw them every day, nine months of not seeing people, there's just like zombies. How do you say hello? How do you smile? I was like, ‘Nuh uh’, we're not doing this. So, I started pointing at them and smiling at them. Eventually, after a couple months, they all snapped out of it and were smiling again and saying hello and singing with me and dancing with me.”

Kevin’s Pride

For a man so associated with Atlanta, Kevin’s history runs much deeper. His father grew up in the South before the Civil Rights Movement.

“He grew up [around] a lot of hatred of dark-skinned black men,” Kevin said. “He saw a whole lot worse than what I saw, and he didn't hate anyone. He told people how it felt, but he didn't hate anyone. There was no prejudice in our families.”

Kevin himself grew up on the west side of Chicago and developed a real sense of empathy there. He learned what struggled looked like and how it manifested in his community. Kevin also spent time later in life living in Charlotte. There, he was a part of a Southern Baptist community where felt he had to hide his sexuality, often using abstinence as an excuse.

“I was, ‘saving it for marriage,’” Kevin said. “Nobody believed that, but that's what I was saying.”

Life led him down its mystical path, and Kevin found his way to the Navy. There, he taught advanced electronics on submarines, a job that would eventually give way to a career in teaching.

Leaving the Navy, Kevin felt it was the right time to come out as a gay man. He hopped around to different cities and eventually found Atlanta. In the 404, he felt truly welcomed to embrace who he is.

“It was a whole different world … I had never seen that many gay Black men [in one city],” Kevin said. “It was nice not to have to hide or lie to people.”

If there’s one thing Kevin will do, he’ll speak his mind. He said he thinks jealousy leads to hatred in today’s climate. In his words, it’s “unfortunate” hatred that comes from people who don’t understand all that LGBTQIA+ people have to go through.

Though he said his identity as a gay man isn’t the only facet of his life, he finds himself embracing it more as hatred rises.

“They're attacking people for being who they are when there's so many other issues,” Kevin said. “We have poverty, illnesses … We have so many real issues, so many other things that we need to focus on.

“What difference does it make what I am? It shouldn't matter.”

A one-man force of positivity

These days, Kevin is a local celebrity in the city of Atlanta. Videos of him have gone viral, and he’s parlayed that attention into an ambassador role for Atlanta-based restaurant Rreal Tacos. He’s even got his own mural along the Beltline at the bridge next to Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark.

“Sometimes I have these people that run up to me, and they start crying like [I’m] Beyonce or Usher or something,” Kevin said, laughing.

He might even be past the term “local”, too. Kevin said he’s met people from across the country who have come to the Beltline to find him after hearing about him online. Earlier this week, he attended an event with former vice president Kamala Harris.

His notoriety hasn’t at all changed who he is at his core. With the increase in attention, Kevin’s first instinct is to give back.

“One woman told me it was her birthday, and she didn't have anyone to celebrate [with]. I asked her what kind of cake she wanted, and then I told her, meet me at Rreal Tacos,” Kevin said. “I gave her strawberry cake, some flowers and balloons, and then I paid for their dinner. She was crying. She was genuine. That little $90, $100 went a long way.”

Kevin will be a part of the Pride Parade during the Atlanta Pride Festival this Sunday October 12. You’ll see him rolling around in the parade, perusing Piedmont Park with the other festivalgoers, spreading his signature celebratory nature.

“They call me a social bee,” Kevin said. “I just love seeing people, talking to people and dancing and getting back to hugging.”

On any given day, you’re more likely going to run into Kevin rollerblading along the Beltline than not. It’s something he does with remarkable consistency, not just for his own enjoyment.

“Well, I know I'm helping people. I've had people tell me. One woman told me that she was going through chemotherapy, and the only thing that kept her going was seeing me on the Beltline … They come out and see me singing ‘Party in the U.S.A.’, they just smile, because you never know what people are going through. That's part of why I do it.

“I know that people are suffering. People tell me, and it's hard for me to just ignore. I don't always have a solution for them, but the least I can do is give them a hug or hold their hand or just sit for a minute and talk to them. A lot of times, that’s all people want is a little bit of attention, to know someone cares.”

So, the next time you go to the Beltline, look out for Kevin. It won’t be long before you hear him singing and see him whirling by. The songs that he sings are much more than just ways to express his love for music. He’s infectiously encouraging people to join him — to sing, to dance, to live joyfully like he does.

“‘Party in the U.S.A.’, that's my go-to song,” Kevin said. “It's a happy, fun song. I guess the theme is enjoy life. Whatever you're going through, just smile, not like it's not happening, but just stay looking forward.”