African Immigration To Puerto Rico - Notable Puerto Ricans of African Ancestry

Notable Puerto Ricans of African Ancestry

The following is a list of Puerto Ricans of African descent born in the island who have reached notability in their respective fields, either in Puerto Rico, the United States, and/or internationally:

• Aviles, Rick, actor and comedian
• Dr. Barbosa, Jose Celso - was a medical Physician, sociologist, and political leader of Puerto Rico.
• Dr. Barbosa, Pilar - was an educator, historian and political activist.
• Dr. Ben-Jochannan, Yosef Alfredo Antonio - also known as Dr. Ben is writer and historian
• Benitez, Wilfred - boxer who won world championships in three separate weight divisions, and was the youngest world champion in boxing history.
• Boria, Juan - Poet and Creator of the Afro-Caribbean genre of poetry
• Calderón, Tego - reggaeton artist
• Campeche, Jose - (Mulatto) the first known Puerto Rican artist and considered by many as one of the best rococo artists in the Americas.
• Campos, Juan Morel - composer, was considered by many to be responsible for taking the genre of danza to its highest level.
• Dr. Campos, Pedro Albizu - lawyer, an advocate of Puerto Rican independence from the United States, and leader and president of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party from 1930 until his death.
• Dr. Canales, José Ferrer - educator, writer and a pro-independence political activist.
• Capo, Bobby - internationally known singer and songwriter.
• Cepeda, Orlando "Peruchin" - baseball player, inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.
• Cepeda, Rafael - folk musician and composer, was the patriarch of the Cepeda family, known internationally as the exponents of Puerto Rican-African folk music, especially Bomba.
• Chen, Nero - was the first Puerto Rican professional boxer to gain international recognition.
• Clemente, Roberto - baseball player, first Latin American to be selected and the only current Hall of Famer for whom the mandatory five year waiting period was waived since the wait was instituted in 1954.
• Colon, Jesus - writer and politician known as the Father of the Nuyorican Movement.
• Cordero, Rafael - known as "The Father of Public Education in Puerto Rico", was a self-educated Puerto Rican of African ancestry who provided free schooling to children regardless of their race.
• Cortijo, Rafael - Plena artist
• Correria, Maritza - the first Puerto Rican of African descent to be on the USA Olympic Swimming Team. She also became the first Black United States swimmer to set an American and World swimming record.
• Cruz, Jose "Cheo" - baseball player, honored by the Astros, when the team retired his number, #25.
• Curet Alonso, Tite - composer, composer of over 2,000 salsa songs.
• De Jesus, Esteban - boxer, first to defeat Roberto Duran.
• Delgado, Carlos - baseball player, a Major League Baseball first baseman.
• Del Villard, Sylvia - was an actress, dancer, choreographer and Afro-Puerto Rican activist.
• Feliciano, Jose "Cheo" - composer and singer of salsa and bolero music.
• Fernández, Ruth - singer and actress, the first Latina singer of romantic music to sing in the Scandinavian countries and the first Latina to record with a North American band.
• Flores, Pedro - composer, one Puerto Rico's best known composers of Ballads and Boleros.
• Hardwick, Herbert Lewis a.k.a. "Cocoa Kid", Will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2012
• Hernandez, Juano - actor, the first Puerto Ricans of African descent to become a major star in the United States and one of the first "new style" black screen actors, who neither sang nor danced but played straight dramatic roles.
• Hernández, Rafael - musician and composer, considered by many to be the greatest composer of Puerto Rican music.
• Kolthoff, Erick - Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico
• Luberza, Isabel - also known as "la Negra", she was a notorious madame of a brothel
• Luciano, Felipe - Poet and Activist
• Navarro, Emilio "Millito" - baseball player, the first Puerto Rican to play baseball in the Negro Leagues.
• Omar, Don - reggaeton artist
• Pellot, Victor - baseball player, the second black Puerto Rican to play in Major League Baseball and the first Puerto Rican to play in the American League.
• Perez, Rosie - Actress and Activist
• Ramos Antonini, Ernesto - was the President of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico and co-founder of the "Partido Popular Democrático de Puerto Rico" (Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico).
• Richardson, Carmen Belen - actress and a comedian considered to be a pioneer of Puerto Rican television.
• Rivera, Ismael - salsa artist
• Rosa Nales, Pedro - News anchor/ Reporter - journalist he has received over 200 awards.
• Santos-Febres, Mayra - writer, poet, essayist, screenwriter, and college professor who has garnered recognitions in Puerto Rico and abroad.
• Schomburg, Arturo Alfonso - historian, writer and activist in the United States who researched and raised awareness of the great contributions that Afro-Latin Americans and African Americans have made to society.
• Torres, José - boxer and in the Boxing Hall of Fame
• Trinidad, Felix - professional boxer, considered as one of the best boxers in that archipelago's history.
• Vazquez, Alani "La La" - Entertainer and Actress
• Venegas, Juan Evangelista - boxer, was the first Puerto Rican to win an Olympic medal.
• Warrington, Otilio "Bizcocho" - comedian and actor, best known for his roles of "Bizcocho" and "Cuca Gomez".
• Williams, Bernie - former Major League Baseball outfielder and a professional jazz musician.
• Xiorro, Marcos - famous leader of the most well-known slave revolt in Puerto Rican history