As part of our special Month of the Man features and in honor of Caribbean Heritage Month, BlackEnterprise.com highlights top leaders of Caribbean descent in sports, politics, entertainment and more.
USAIN BOLT
Country: Jamaica
Claim to Fame: Track and field star and record-breaking sprinter
Usain Bolt, is a Jamaican sprinter who has been called the “fastest person alive.” He is the first man to hold both the 100- and 200-meter world records since fully automatic time measurements became mandatory in 1977. Along with his teammates, he also set the world record in the 4×100-meter relay. He is the reigning Olympic champion in these three events, the first man to win six Olympic gold medals in sprinting, and a five-time World champion.
TIM DUNCAN
Country: U.S. Virgina Islands
Claim to fame: NBA MVP and All-Star
Timothy Theodore “Tim” Duncan is an basketball player who plays for the San Antonio Spurs. Duncan, who plays power forward and center, is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year. He is also a 14-time NBA All-Star, as well as the only player in NBA history to be selected to both All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams during each of his first 13 seasons.
THEOPHILUS LONDON
Country: Trinidad
Claim to Fame: Singer/Rapper
Theophilus Musa London was born in Trinidad and raised in Brooklyn, New York. The musician released his debut EP “Lovers Holiday” in February 2011, and his full-length debut album “Timez Are Weird These Days” that July. According to critics, London’s “genre-bending approach draws from a range of styles, from soul-pop and post-punk to electro and contemporary R&B.” London has said that his influences include Michael Jackson and Prince as well as Kraftwerk and the Smiths.
SIR TREVOR MCDONALD
Country: Trinidad
Claim to Fame: Award-winning Journalist
He is a Trinidadian-British newscaster and journalist. McDonald was the first black journalist on ITN and maintained a long career with the network. Twice voted newscaster of the year, McDonald is perceived as the face of ITN, after years of fronting its flagship “News at Ten.” In his spare time, he also wrote several books, including biographies of cricketers Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards and his own autobiography, Fortunate Circumstances.
MAXWELL
Country: Puerto Rico and Haiti
Claim to Fame: Grammy-winning Singer, Songwriter and Producer
Gerald Maxwell Riviera was born to a Haitian mother and Puerto Rican father in Brooklyn, New York. The singer’s career has spanned two decades and brought him accolades such as twelve Grammy award nominations with two wins and four solo albums.
COLIN POWELL
Country: Jamaica
Claim to Fame: Best-selling Author and Former U.S. Secretary of State
The retired four-star general from the United States Army was the 65th US Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush, and was the first African American to serve in that position. During his military career, Powell also served as National Security Adviser, as Commander of the U.S. Army Forces Command and as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, holding the latter position during the Persian Gulf War. He was the first, and so far the only, African American to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and was the first of two consecutive African American office-holders to hold the key Administration position of U.S. Secretary of State. He is also the author of My American Journey, a biographical book about his career and life lessons.
HARRY BELAFONTE
Country: Jamaica and Martinique
Claim to Fame: Award-winning Actor, Singer and Humanitarian
An actor and “King of Calypso,” Harry Belafonte ranked among the most seminal performers of the post-war era. He is one of the most successful African-American pop stars in history. Belafonte also starred in classic films such as Carmen Jones
, alongside Dorothy Dandridge. He was also a key activist in the Civil Rights Movement.A lifelong humanitarian, he was the first recipient of the Nelson Mandela Courage Award and was honored at the White House with the 1994 National Medal of Arts for his contributions to U.S. cultural life. He has also received honorary degrees from schools including City University of New York, Spelman College, Tufts University and Columbia University.
SIDNEY POITIER
Country: Bahamas
Claim to Fame: Award-winning Actor and Philanthropist
Poitier became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field. In 1967 when he starred in three successful films: To Sir, with Love; In the Heat of the Night; and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, making him the top box-office star of that year. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Poitier among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time, ranking 22nd on the list of 25. Since 1997, he has been the Bahamian ambassador to Japan. Author of “The Measure of a Man,” Poitier is also an entrepreneur, serving as president and CEO of Verdon Cedric Productions.
ERIC HOLDER
Country: Barbados
Claim to Fame: U.S. Attorney General
He is the first African American to hold the position of U.S. Attorney General. In the past, Holder served in the U.S. Justice Department’s new Public Integrity Section during an interval lasting from 1976 to 1988. During his time there, he assisted in the prosecution of a Democratic Congressman. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan appointed Holder to serve as a judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
PATRICK EWING
Country: Jamaica
Claim to Fame: Veteran NBA player and coach
Patrick Ewing played most of his professional athletic career with the New York Knicks, and played briefly with the Seattle SuperSonics and Orlando Magic. One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History is now the new assistant coach for the Charlotte Bobcats.