Being introduced to new and different members of your family can be as exciting as it is expansive.That’s exactly what makes this article about eight amazing Afro-Latino achievers a refreshing glimpse into how often lesser-known members of the African Diaspora clan achieve and excel beyond measure. They represent a span of talents and expertise that people young and old may be inspired to emulate. Each of the eight persons featured is a vibrant reminder that Black excellence comes in different languages, locations, and cultural contexts.
Continue reading and meet: Miriam Jimenez Roman, author of the seminal book, The Afro-Latin Reader: History and Culture in the United States; celebrated poet and novelist Piri Thomas, author of the urban classic, Down These Mean Streets; Jose Celso Barbosa, who made history three ways – as a doctor, politician and publisher; Gwen Ifill, who was a trailblazing hero to Black women journalists; Sylvia del Villard, the courageous dancer, actress and activist who founded the influential Afro-Boricua El Coqui Theater; Felipe Luciano, a Young Lords Party leader, member of the Original Last Poets and TV, broadcast and print journalist; Julia Constanza Burgos Garcia, the journalist, activist and feminist who was also a lyrical poet, and historian Arturo Schomburg, founder of what is today the internationally renowned Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Click here to explore the contributions of just a few of many Afro-Latinos who are distinguished members of the African Diaspora family.