Juliette Maiorana, Author at

Academic Historian

Juliette Maiorana is a fourth-generation native Arizonan of Mexican heritage. She has a B.S. and M.A. in history from Northern Arizona University, and a Ph.D. in history from the University of California at San Diego (2013). Dr. Maiorana’s historical research and writing has been recognized by numerous awards, grants, and fellowships. Her research interests include the history of race, family, and migration. Currently, she is juggling publication projects and research trips during this “unprecedented” time. Juliette recently relocated to San Diego and she is watching her two sons begin the “adulting” process.

Sonia Pierre (1963-2011)

Human rights activist Sonia Pierre was born in Villa Altagracia, San Cristobal, Dominican Republic on July 4, 1963, and she died at forty-eight years old of a heart attack on December 4, 2011. Sonia was one of the most internationally-recognized activists working on behalf of … Read MoreSonia Pierre (1963-2011)

Aida Cartagena Portalatin (1918-1994)

Aida Cartagena was a prominent Afro-Latina poet, novelist, scholar, and public intellectual. She was born in Moca, Dominican Republic on June 18, 1918, and died at the age of seventy-five on June 3, 1994. Aida was the daughter of Olimpia Portalatin and Felipe Cartagena Estrella. … Read MoreAida Cartagena Portalatin (1918-1994)

Maria Firmina dos Reis (1825 -1917)

Maria Firmina dos Reis was the founding mother of Afro-Brazilian literature. Her novel, Úrsula (1859), was the first abolitionist novel written by a woman. She was born on October 11, 1825 (or March 11, 1822 depending on source) in Guimarães, Maranhão, Brazil and spent her … Read MoreMaria Firmina dos Reis (1825 -1917)

María Elena Moyano Delgado (1958-1992)

María Elena Moyano Delgado was an Afro-Peruvian community organizer and mother whose assassination by the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) sparked a public outcry bringing attention to her work and the plight of economically marginalized women. Born on November 23, 1958 in Barranco District, Lima to … Read MoreMaría Elena Moyano Delgado (1958-1992)

María Teresa Vera (1895-1965)

María Teresa Vera was an Afro-Cuban guitarist, singer, and composer, who is held up as an example of the Cuban “trova” movement. Trova is a rural folk style of music and Vera’s career was extraordinary for a woman of her time. “Viente Anos,” (Twenty Years) … Read MoreMaría Teresa Vera (1895-1965)

Yolanda Guzmán (1943-1965)

Yolanda Guzmán was a young Afro Latina activist in the Dominican Republic who was killed in 1965 at the time of an uprising by supporters of the country’s democratically-installed president Juan Bosch, who had been overthrown by military-backed forces. Guzmán, who had worked for the … Read MoreYolanda Guzmán (1943-1965)

Julia López (1936- )

Julia López is an established painter whose work is considered an early example of the “breakaway” generation of painters who began to move away from the muralista artistic tradition in Mexico. López was born in the Costa Chica region in the state of Guerrero on … Read MoreJulia López (1936- )

Virginia Brindis de Salas (1908-1958)

Virginia Brindis de Salas was the first published black woman writer in Uruguay. She was born on September 18, 1908 in the capital, Montevideo, to José Salas and Maria Blanca Rodriguez. Afro Latinos in Uruguay as elsewhere in Latin America are the descendants of enslaved … Read MoreVirginia Brindis de Salas (1908-1958)

Juan Beltrán de Magaña (1537-1578)

Juan Beltrán de Magaña was a black conquistador of Chile. He was born in Guadalajara, Spain in 1537 to Francisco Gonzalez Mencia and Estacio de la Peña. He married Mariana Aguirre and had a legitimate son named Martin de Briones. In addition, he had an illegitimate son of … Read MoreJuan Beltrán de Magaña (1537-1578)

Marva Weatherhorn (1983- )

Twenty-one-year-old Marva Weatherhorn, the first black Miss Guatemala, represented her country in the 2004 Miss Universe pageant. Her mother’s family immigrated to Guatemala from El Salvador to work harvesting bananas. Ms. Weatherhorn’s father and his parents had emigrated from Jamaica to work for the United … Read MoreMarva Weatherhorn (1983- )