Her Excellency, The Most Honorable Dame Sandra Prunella Mason, is the first president of the Republic of Barbados. Mason was born on January 17, 1949, in East Point, Saint Philip, Barbados. Her early education began at St. Catherine’s Primary School in 1955, and she left … Read MoreSandra Prunella Mason (1949- )
Sir Grantley Herbert Adams was a Barbadian politician. He was the first Prime Minister of Barbados from 1953 to 1958 and then became the first and only Prime Minister of the West Indies Federation from 1958 to 1962. He was one of the co-founders of … Read MoreGrantley Herbert Adams (1898-1971)
Actor, producer Nia Long of Trinidadian heritage, was born Nitara Carlynn Long on October 30, 1970, in Brooklyn, New York, to Talita Gillman Long, an educator, and printmaker, and Doughtry Long, an educator, and poet. However, she was reared in Los Angeles, California. She has … Read MoreNia Long (1970- )
The history of West Indian immigration can be traced back to the 17th century when enslaved Africans from Barbados, Jamaica, and Antigua were brought to the British North American colonies to work on plantations. The Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) sparked another wave of immigration with thousands … Read MoreWest Indian Immigration to the United States (1900- )
Composer, guitarist, and Reggae singer Eddy Grant was born Edmond Montague Grant on March 5, 1948, in Plaisance, Demerara-Mahaica, Guyana, to Patrick Alexander Grant, a trumpeter. He has one brother, Rudy Grant. In 1960, he emigrated to London where he studied at Acland Burghley Secondary … Read MoreEddy Grant (1948- )
Robyn Rihanna Fenty is a multitalented singer, actress and fashion designer from Barbados, best known by her middle name. She was born on February 20, 1988 in Saint Michael, Barbados to Monica (Braithwaite) and Ronald Fenty. In her youth, Fenty attended Charles F. Broome Memorial … Read MoreRihanna/Robyn Rihanna Fenty (1988- )
Although persons of African ancestry had resided in Great Britain since the time of the Roman conquest, their numbers and influence increased dramatically in the years immediately after World War II. On June 22, 1948 the HMT Empire Windrush, carrying over a thousand passengers, docked … Read MoreThe Windrush Generation (1948- )
Richard A. Harewood was a prominent lawyer, state representative, and judge in Chicago, Illinois. He was born on June 25th, 1900 in Barbados, British West Indies and raised there until he was seven years old. His father who was a soldier in the British Colonial Army, died when Harewood was three years old, and his … Read MoreRichard A. Harewood (1900-1985)
Hilton Als is an American writer and art critic who was born in 1960 in Brooklyn, New York, the child of two Barbados immigrants. Raised by his mother with his five siblings, four sisters and one brother, he studied art history at Columbia University but dropped out before graduation and became a … Read MoreHilton Als (1960- )
Bussa Emancipation Statue, Bridgetown, Barbados Image Ownership: Public domain The Bussa Rebellion was the largest slave revolt in the history of Barbados. The rebellion took its name from the African-born slave, Bussa, who led the uprising. The Bussa Rebellion was the first of the three … Read MoreBussa Rebellion (1816)
