Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. I thought I'd repost a blog from 2009. 


But first! Today Anansi and I are hanging out with Robyn Campbell and her lovely brood of children. The kids promised to show him around their farm and feed him, so I know he'll be happy.

Robyn has asked me a few questions. Hope you'll stop over at her place and read all about it!

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It may come as a surprise for some to learn that many people from the Caribbean have appeared on the world stage. Some names are immediately recognizable, others less so, but no less important.

Here are are few of our heroes.

Entertainers
Sidney Poitier - Is Bahamian, born 2 months premature while his parents were visiting Miami.

Bob Marley - Jamaica - Singer/songwriter who brought reggae to the world and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He also won the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Billy Ocean - Trinidad - Singer

Jimmy Cliff - Jamaica - Singer/songwriter/actor was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He also won a Grammy for best raggae album in 2013.

The Mighty Sparrow - Grenada/Trinidad - Calypsonian - If you visit his website, take a look at the humongous number of awards he has won and been given. He's a wonderful human being.
Congo Man is my favorite of his songs. Full of humor and innuendo.


Jon Lucien - born on Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, and raised on St. Thomas he was a Jazz singer with a beautiful voice who also played bass. I knew him...

The Arts
Derek Walcott - St. Lucia won the Nobel Prize for Literature

Tregensza Roach - born on St. Lucia is a journalist and poet who won the Pulitzer Prize for a series of articles he wrote for the St. Thomas Daily News.

Wayne James - St. Croix, designed a monument for the Riverbank State Park in Harlem in memory of The Middle Passage.

Science and Medicine
Evans Harrigan - of the US Virgin Islands is our very own rocket scientist.

Roy L. Schneider - St. Thomas - was given the Bronze Star for his service in Viet Nam, was also the Governor of the USVI,  and a medical doctor who has written textbooks on oncology.

Politics and the Military
Melvin H. Evans - St. Croix - was the first elected governor in the USVI he was also the first black governor elected in the United States.

Terrence Todman - Born on St. Thomas in 1926, he was a diplomat and ambassador (at different times) to  Chad, Denmark, Argentina and Spain.

Henry E. Rohlsen-  St. Croix, was a Tuskegee Airman. The airport on St. Croix is named after him.


Sports
Tim Duncan - St. Croix - Anybody who knows anything about basketball knows about Tim and the San Antonio Spurs.

Emile Griffith - St. Thomas - Boxer, winner of the New York Golden Gloves, a welterweight and middle weight world champion who had a troubled career and life.

Julian Jackson - USVI, boxer, three time world champion in middle and junior middle weight divisions.

Alvin McBean - St. Thomas - Played major league baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the San Diego Dodgers and the Los Angeles Dodgers

Reynaldo Turnbull - St. Thomas - Was a linebacker and defensive-end for the New Orleans Saints and was a Pro-Bowl selection.

Sammy Sosa - Dominican Republic, well know for his power house hitting, played with the Texas Rangers, the White Sox and the Cubs.

Roberto Clemente - Puerto Rico was the first Hispanic (he was also black) to win a World Series and MVP in 1971. He also won a National League MVP in 1966 and is in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Which of these people have you heard of?

Caribbean Notables

You still have plenty of time to sign up for my blogfest and gift give-away. Just click on the pumpkin above!

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You might be surprised by the number of well known people who were born  in the Caribbean. Here are just a few.

Most everyone has heard of Bob Marley, born and raised in Jamaica.


As well as another raggae artist, Dennis Brown


But did you know Tim Duncan was born and raised on St. Croix?


And that Rihanna is from Barbados?













National Baseball Hall of Famer, Roberto Clemente, was born and raised in Puerto Rico. This is a picture of the stadium in Puerto Rico that is named in his honor.
















Or how about John James Audubon? Not only was he born in Haiti, he was an illegitimate child.













Alexander Hamilton, also illegitimate, was born on Nevis and raised on St. Croix.


Dr. William Thornton (not a house hold name) drew the original design for the Capital Building in Washington D. C. He was born on the tiny island of Jost Van Dyke (a close neighbor to St. Thomas) in the British Virgin Islands.


The father of French Impressionism, Camille Pissarro, was born and raised on St. Thomas.


And yes, Kelsey Grammer, was born on St. Thomas too.


Any well known people from your neck of the woods?