1. Arturo Schomburg, Afro-Puerto Rican archivist, book collector, and historian, relocated to New York City from Puerto Rico. The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, a NYPL-system library focused on African diasporic culture and history, built on the collections of Schomburg in the same subject, is a testament to the importance of Afro-Latinos in uncovering the history of the African diaspora in the Americas. His collections included work on African history as well as the history of the Afro-Atlantic world, sparked by the ignorant racism of a white teacher in Puerto Rico who once told him that blacks have no history. I am proud to say I have been to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture twice and saw exhibits on Afro-Indian art from the Siddis of India (mostly textiles and photographs by a UW-Madison professor I had, Drewal) and a special Malcolm X exhibit.
2. Merlin Santana, Dominican-American from Manhattan, best known for his roles in The Cosby Show and The Steve Harvey Show. As a dark-skinned, clearly 'black' Dominican, Santana's roles in television and film were likely limited by white directors forcing him into 'black' roles, but he seemed comfortable and also willing to play African-American characters in black sitcoms.
3. Zoe Saldana, Dominican actress, clearly 'black' like Santana, is also a proud Afro-Latina who embraces a black identity. She embraces her black identity (soy una mujer negra) and knows that is not separate from her Dominican and Puerto Rican identities.
4. Rosario Dawson, an actress, is also a prominent Afro-Latina in film. Her mother is Afro-Cuban and Puerto Rican.
5. Celia Cruz, Afro-Cuban salsa singer and legend, moved to the United States.
6. Mongo Santamaria, Afro-Cuban percussionist, also moved to the United States.
7. Mario Bauza, Afro-Cuban trompeter and jazz artist who collaborated with bebop's African-American legends in New York City.
8. Chano Pozo, another Afro-Cuban jazz legend who co-wrote "Manteca" with Dizzy Gillespie.
9. Junot Diaz, Dominican writer best known for The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.
10. Gina Torres, Afro-Cuban actress best known for her role in Firefly. She's also played black roles in a film with Chris Rock and is married to African-American actor Laurence Fishburne. She was raised in New York City, clearly a center of Afro-Latinos in the US.
11. Tatyana Ali, Panamian and Trinidadian actress best known for her role as Ashley in Fresh Prince. Her Panamanian side is of West Indian descent and her father is of Indo-Trinidadian descent.
12. Charles Rangel, illustrious Harlem Congressional representative, is half-Puerto Rican. He doesn't seem to identify with his Latino side, but...
13. Lauren Velez, Puerto Rican actress from Dexter
14. Mariah Carey is part Afro-Venezuelan
15. A-Rod is Dominican
16. Esperanza Spalding's father is African-American and her mother is part Mexican
17. News anchor Soledad O'Brien is half Afro-Cuban
18. Dominican actress Judy Reyes from Scrubs
19. Sammy Sosa, Dominican baseball player. Many of the Dominican players in the American baseball teams, if not all, are Afro-Latino.
20. Maxwell, Haitian and Puerto Rican R&B singer from Brooklyn
21. Christina Milian is also Afro-Latina
22 .Kid Cudi, rapper, is half Mexican
23. Jean-Michel Basquiat, famous black artist, is Haitian and Puerto Rican.
24. Don Omar, Puerto Rican reggaeton artist
25. Dania Ramirez, Dominican actress
26. Rosie Perez, Nuyorican actress who played Mookie's girlfriend in Do the Right Thing
27. Roberto Clemente, Puerto Rican baseball player
28. Singer Sammy Davis Jr. is part Cuban
29. Silvio Torres-Saillaint, Dominican scholar
30. Last but not least, Willie Bobo, Latin jazz percussionist
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