- Barrington Irving
Barrington Irving, Jr. (b. in Jamaica) is an aerospace student at Florida Memorial University, and reportedly the youngest person and first black person and first Jamaican American to pilot a plane around the world solo. Irving was born in Jamaica, and grew up in the Miami, Florida area. Irving started his journey on March 23 2007 in the Opa-locka Airport located near Miami, planning to complete the trip in 41 days. His airplane, a Columbia 400, is named the "Inspiration", …
- KRS-One
Lawrence Krisna Parker (born August 20, 1965), known as KRS-One, is an American hip hop MC of Jamaican and Nigerian descent from South Bronx. Over his career he has been known by several pseudonyms, including "Kris Parker," "The Blastmaster," and "The Teacha." KRS-One is a significant figure in the hip hop community, …
- Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr. (born on May 20 1972), better known as Busta Rhymes, is an American hip hop musician and actor of Jamaican descent. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the name Busta Rhymes (from former NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes) after watching him perform. He is also a follower of the Nation of Islam offshoot, The Nation of Gods and Earths.
- Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys (born Alicia J. Augello-Cook on January 25 1980) is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, pianist, record producer, actress, philanthropist, and author who has won numerous awards, including nine Grammy Awards, eleven Billboard Music Awards, and three American Music Awards.
- Colin Powell
General Colin Luther Powell, United States Army (Ret.) (born April 5, 1937) is a former American military leader and statesman. He became the first African-American to be confirmed as United States Secretary of State. As the 65th United States Secretary of State (2001-05) under President George W. Bush, Powell became the highest ranking African American government official in the history of the United States.
- Harry Belafonte
Harold George Belafonete, Jr. (born March 1, 1927 in New York, New York, United States) is a musician, actor and social activist of Jamaican ancestry. One of the most successful Jamaican musicians in history, he was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style in the 1950s. Belafonte is perhaps best known for singing the "Banana Boat Song", with its signature lyric "Day-O".
- Corbin Bleu
Corbin Bleu (born on February 21, 1989) is an American actor, model, dancer, and singer best known for his roles in the film "Catch That Kid", the Disney Channel original movies "High School Musical" and "Jump In!" which he stars along with his dad David Reivers, and the series "Flight 29 Down".
- Grace Jones
Grace Jones (born Grace Mendoza on May 19, 1948, in Spanish Town, Jamaica) is a model, singer and actress.
- Tyson Beckford
Tyson Craig Beckford (born December 19, 1970 in Bronx, New York) is an American model and actor, known worldwide for his muscular physique, facial structure, and tattoos; and also as the lead model for Ralph Lauren. He is also reported to be one of the highest-paid and richest male supermodels in the world. Beckford is the son of a half Jamaican half Chinese father (paternal grandmother is 100% Chinese) and Jamaican mother with Panamanian ancestry.
- Opal Palmer Adisa
Opal Palmer Adisa is a Jamaica-born writer, artist and teacher. Since 1993, Opal Palmer Adisa has taught literature and served as Chair of the Ethnic Studies/Cultural Diversity Program at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland. Her work has been described by Alice Walker as "Solid, visceral, important stories written with integrity and love".
- Edward Seaga
Edward Philip George Seaga ON (born May 28, 1930) was Prime Minister of Jamaica for the Jamaica Labour Party from 1980 to 1989. He served as leader of the opposition from 1974 to 1980 and again from 1989 until January 2005. His retirement from political life marked the end of Jamaica's founding generation in active politics; he was the last serving politician to have entered public life before independence.
- Louis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan (born Louis Eugene Walcott, May 11, 1933), is the head of the Nation of Islam. Farrakhan is the leader of African-American Muslims inside and outside the Nation of Islam. Farrakhan has been the center of much controversy, and critics have, among other things, claimed that his views are racist and antisemitic Farrakhan denies these charges.
- Will.I.Am
William James Adams Jr. (born March 15 1975), better known as will.i.am, is an American hip-hop musician and founding member of Black Eyed Peas. Adams is of Jamaican descent.
- The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 - March 9, 1997), popularly known as Biggie Smalls (after a gangster in the 1975 film "Let's Do It Again"), Big Poppa, Frank White (from the film "King of New York"), and his primary stage name, The Notorious B.I.G. (Business Instead of Game), was an American rapper and hip hop artist.
- Kool Dj Herc
DJ Kool Herc (born Clive Campbell on April 16, 1955 in Kingston, Jamaica), is a musician and producer who is generally credited as the pioneer of hip hop during the 1970s. According to All Music Guide, he was the originator of break-beat DJing, where the breaks of funk songs-being the most danceable part, often featuring percussion-were isolated and repeated for the purpose of all-night dance parties (AMG).
- Taj Mahal
Henry Saint Clair Fredericks, better known by the stage name Taj Mahal (born May 17, 1942), is an American blues musician.
- Keshia Knight Pulliam
Keshia Knight Pulliam (born April 9, 1979 in Newark, New Jersey, USA) is an American actress.
- Karrine Steffans
Karrine Steffans was born on August 24, 1978 St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands and is a former hip hop music video performer and actress. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller Confessions of a Video Vixen , her 2005 memoir about her life in the commercial hip hop world, which was wildly popular for its graphic descriptions of her sexual liaisons with numerous celebrities. Confessions is currently [Oct. 2007] the all-time best selling book on AALBC.com
- Yvette D. Clarke
Yvette Diane Clarke (born November 21, 1964) currently is a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York's 11th congressional district. Clarke won the Democratic Primary on September 12, 2006 defeating David Yassky, Carl Andrews and Chris Owens. In this heavily Democratic District, Clarke won the general election with 89% of the vote and fills the seat vacated by retiring Representative Major Owens, a seat also held by Shirley Chisholm.
- Canibus
Germaine Williams (born December 9 1974), better known as Canibus and also as Can-I-Bus and Rip the Jacker, is a Jamaican-born American MC and rapper respected amongst hip-hop aficionado's as one of the greatest lyricists in hip-hop history. He is notorious for his intricate and complex rhyme schemes and punchlines, as well as his sound technique and aptitude as a battle rapper.
- Patrick Ewing
Patrick Aloysius Ewing (born August 5, 1962) is a Jamaican-born American former professional basketball player. He played most of his career with the New York Knicks as their starting center and played briefly with the Seattle SuperSonics and Orlando Magic.
- Gil Scott-Heron
Gil Scott-Heron (born April 1 1949) is an American poet and musician known primarily for his late 1960s and early 1970s work as a spoken word performer. He is associated with African American militant activism, and is best known for his poem and song "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised". He is the son of Jamaican footballer Gil Heron, who was one of the first black professionals to play in the UK.
- Monty Alexander
Monty Alexander (born Montgomery Bernard Alexander on June 6, 1944 in Kingston, Jamaica) is a Jamaican pianist and melodica player. His playing has a strong Caribbean influence and swinging feeling, but he has also been influenced by Wynton Kelly, Art Tatum, Gene Harris and Ahmad Jamal. Alexander discovered the piano at the age of 4, taking classical music lessons at 6 and became interested in jazz piano at the age of 14. Two years later, …
- Sanya Richards
Sanya Richards (born February 26, 1985 in Kingston, Jamaica) is a track and field athlete who competes internationally for the United States. She was a gold medalist in the 4x400m relay at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Richards left Jamaica for the USA at the age of 12 and became a US citizen in May 2002. At St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, she lettered in basketball in high school and is a member of the National Honor Society, …
- Shaggy
Shaggy (born October 22 1968, in Kingston, Jamaica as Orville Richard Burrell) is a Jamaican reggae deejay who takes his nickname from Scooby-Doo's companion (possibly from the similarity of their first names). He is especially notable for his distinctive sub-baritone voice.
- Shaggy
Shaggy (born October 22 1968, in Kingston, Jamaica as Orville Richard Burrell) is a Jamaican reggae deejay who takes his nickname from Scooby-Doo's companion, a nickname given to him by his friends, during his teenage years in which his hair bore a similarity to the Scooby Doo character. He is especially notable for his distinctive sub-baritone voice.
- Chuck Fender
Chuck Fender is a music artist. His songs are of the reggae/dub genre. He has toured in Jamaica and the United States. Well-known songs include "I swear", "Poor people cry" and "Better days" all of which are from the "Better days" album. He is sometimes also known as Chuck Fenda and Chuck Fendah.
- Staceyann Chin
Staceyann Chin is a spoken word poet born in Jamaica and living in New York City. Chin is a full-time artist. She has been an "out poet and political activist" since 1998. From the rousing cheers of the Nuyorican Poets' Cafe to one-woman shows Off- Broadway to poetry workshops in Denmark and London to co-writer and performer in the Tony nominated, Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam on Broadway, …
- Steven E. de Souza
Steven E. de Souza (b. 17 November 1947) is an American producer, director and scriptwriter of Portuguese and Jamaican ancestry. He is among a handful of screenwriters whose films have earned over two billion dollars at the box office. He is a graduate of Penn State. De Souza is credited with being the writer for seven TV series, including "The Six Million Dollar Man", "The Bionic Woman", "Knight Rider" and "Tales from the Crypt".
- Kamala Harris
Kamala Devi Harris (born 1964 in Oakland, California) is the current District Attorney of San Francisco. She is the first woman district attorney in San Francisco, the first African American to serve as top prosecutor in California, and the first Indian American to serve as district attorney in the United States. She was elected in December 2003 with over 56 percent of the votes in a run-off election against the two-term incumbent, Terence Hallinan.
- Robert Wisdom
Robert Wisdom (born September 14, 1953) is an American actor. Wisdom was born in Washington, D.C. to Jamaican parents. He has appeared on the HBO program "The Wire" as Howard "Bunny" Colvin, and has also starred in the 2004 films "Barbershop 2: Back in Business" and "Ray", and the 2007 film "Freedom Writers". He has landed a regular role on season 3 of Prison Break playing the role of a Panamanian drug kingpin.
- Patrick Ewing Jr.
Patrick Ewing, Jr. (born May 20, 1984 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA) is an American collegiate basketball player. He is the son of retired NBA great Patrick Ewing. He is a 6-foot-8, 238-pound forward. He first attended Windward High School in White Plains, New York before going to Holy Innocents' Episcopal School and Marietta High School in Georgia and National Christian Academy in Maryland. He signed with Indiana University on May 1, 2003.
- Dre
Dre (born "Andre Christopher Lyon", in New York City.) He moved to Miami with his family when he was five years old. He is one half of the production duo "Cool & Dre", along with Marcello "Cool" Valenzano. He is of Cuban, Dominican and Jamaican descent. He graduated from North Miami High School. He is currently working on his solo album called "The Trunk".
- Keron Grant
Keron Grant (b. August 23, 1976, in Montego Bay) is a Jamaican-American comic book artist, who has worked mostly for Marvel Comics. His first published work was a pinup in the back of one of the final issues of Dale Keown's Pitt. His first steady comics work was drawing three issues of the unpublished "Century" comic from Rob Liefeld's Awesome Comics.
- Roxanne Beckford
Roxanne Beckford (born November 17, 1969 in Kingston, Jamaica) is an American actress. She has acted in numerous television series and played small roles in movies, including "Bewitched" (2005) "Something's Gotta Give" (2003), and "Father of the Bride Part II" (1995).
- Cleveland Lowellyn Robinson
Cleveland Lowellyn Robinson (Cleve) was born in 1914 in Swabys Hope, Jamaica. After serving as a local constable and an elementary school teacher, he emigrated to the U.S. in 1944. When he arrived he took a job in Manhattan dry goods store and very soon became active in District 65. In 1947 he owned his own shop, he went on to become a steward, and then a full time organizer for the union. He was elected vice-president in 1950 and later in 1952 became secretary-treasurer.
- Robinne Lee
Robinne Lee (b. 16 July 1974 in Mount Vernon, New York) is an American actress of Jamaican-Chinese ancestry. A graduate of Columbia Law School, Lee began her acting career as part of the ensemble cast of the romantic comedy "Hav Plenty" in 1997, which was shown at the Toronto Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival. In 2003, Lee appeared in "Deliver Us From Eva" with LL Cool J and the action comedy "National Security" with Martin Lawrence.
- Keith Anthony Morrison
Keith Anthony Morrison is a Jamaican-born painter, educator, critic, curator and administrator. Presently the dean of the Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Philadelphia, Morrison has also served as past dean of the College of Creative Arts at San Francisco State University, and as a faculty member at the University of Maryland. Morrison was trained at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he received both a BFA (1963), and an MFA (1965).
- Olivia
Olivia Theresa Longott (born February 15 1981), professionally known as Olivia, is an American R&B singer.
- Nellie Y. McKay
Nellie Yvonne McKay (born 1930 died January 22, 2006) was an American academic and author who was the Evjue-Bascom Professor of American and African-American Literature at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she also taught in English and women's studies, and is best known as the co-editor (with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.) of the "Norton Anthology of African-American Literature".