Ricardo Nazario y Colón
Encyclopedia
Ricardo Nazario y Colón (born 1967) is a Puerto Rican Poet
, Artist
, Higher Education Administrator, Author
, Language teacher
, and former United States Marine.
advocate and diversity consultant from the South Bronx
area of New York City
. He has two older brothers, Roberto and Oscar, a younger brother, Jonath Colon (FKA Ismael), and two younger sisters, Maritza and Solmelissa. In 2011 he was appointed by the Governor of Kentucky Hon. Steve Beshear, to serve on the states Native American Heritage Commission.
and Lou Gehrig I.S. 151 in the South Bronx. After attending the DeWitt Clinton High School where he lettered in Cross Country and Track, he entered Fordham University in 1984 to study computer science
on a Track Scholarship and lettered his freshmen year. In 1985 he entered the United States Marine Corps
and trained at Parris Island, South Carolina
and graduated as a Private First Class
. In 1992 he completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Kentucky in Latin American Studies
and Spanish Literature
. In 1996, he received a Master of Science
from Pace University (NY).
Nazario y Colón became a co-founder of the Affrilachian Poets. In 2001 he was featured in the PBS documentary Coal Black Voices produced by the Media Working Group. Featuring Nikky Finney, Frank X Walker, Crystal Wilkinson, Kelly Norman Ellis, Paul C. Taylor, Bernard Clay, Mitchell L.H. Douglass, Daundra Scisney, and Shanna Smith. In addition, commentary was provided by Gurney Norman (2009 KY Poet Laureate) and C. Daniel Dawson, African Art Historian. His work has been featured on the Bob Edwards show
, and the Kentucky NPR Affiliates WFPL and WUKY as well as in the program Casting the Dye: a Reading with the Affrilachian Poets, recorded Thursday, February 12, 2009, at The Art Institute of Chicago. Speakers include: Mitchell L.H. Douglas, Parneshia Jones, Kelly Norman Ellis, Ricardo Nazario Colon, Ellen Hagan, Frank X Walker, and Stephanie Pruitt, with a special guest reading by National Book Award nominee Patricia Smith on Chicago's WEBZ.
For the last 20 years Nazario y Colón has been traveling the Appalachian Region and other parts of the United States consulting on diversity, leadership development
and working with community groups and universities. As a member of the Affrilachian Poets he is particularly engaged in the fight against Mountain Top Soil Removal and works to educate individuals outside of the Appalachian Region.
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, Artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, Higher Education Administrator, Author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, Language teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
, and former United States Marine.
Life
Ricardo Nazario y Colón was born in the old Lincoln Hospital in 1967 to Francisca Colón Lopez, a waitress and Benito Reinaldo Nazario Acosta, a piano finisher. He is a poet, environmental justiceEnvironmental justice
Environmental justice is "the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, sex, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies." In the words of Bunyan Bryant,...
advocate and diversity consultant from the South Bronx
South Bronx
The South Bronx is an area of the New York City borough of The Bronx. The neighborhoods of Tremont, University Heights, Highbridge, Morrisania, Soundview, Hunts Point, and Castle Hill are sometimes considered part of the South Bronx....
area of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He has two older brothers, Roberto and Oscar, a younger brother, Jonath Colon (FKA Ismael), and two younger sisters, Maritza and Solmelissa. In 2011 he was appointed by the Governor of Kentucky Hon. Steve Beshear, to serve on the states Native American Heritage Commission.
Education
Ricardo Nazario y Colón attended Jesus T. Piñero primary school in Carruzos, Puerto RicoPuerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and Lou Gehrig I.S. 151 in the South Bronx. After attending the DeWitt Clinton High School where he lettered in Cross Country and Track, he entered Fordham University in 1984 to study computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
on a Track Scholarship and lettered his freshmen year. In 1985 he entered the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
and trained at Parris Island, South Carolina
Parris Island, South Carolina
Parris Island is a former census-designated place , currently a portion of Port Royal in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 4,841 at the 2000 census. As defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, Parris Island is included within the Beaufort Urban Cluster and the larger...
and graduated as a Private First Class
Private First Class
Private First Class is a military rank held by junior enlisted persons.- Singapore :The rank of Private First Class in the Singapore Armed Forces lies between the ranks of Private and Lance-Corporal . It is usually held by conscript soldiers midway through their national service term...
. In 1992 he completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Kentucky in Latin American Studies
Latin American Studies
Latin American studies is an academic discipline dealing with the study of Latin America and Latin Americans.-Definition:Latin American studies critically examines the history, culture, politics, and experiences of Latin Americans in Latin America and often also elsewhere .Latin American studies...
and Spanish Literature
Spanish literature
Spanish literature generally refers to literature written in the Spanish language within the territory that presently constitutes the state of Spain...
. In 1996, he received a Master of Science
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
from Pace University (NY).
Affrilachian Poets
As a student at the University of KentuckyUniversity of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
Nazario y Colón became a co-founder of the Affrilachian Poets. In 2001 he was featured in the PBS documentary Coal Black Voices produced by the Media Working Group. Featuring Nikky Finney, Frank X Walker, Crystal Wilkinson, Kelly Norman Ellis, Paul C. Taylor, Bernard Clay, Mitchell L.H. Douglass, Daundra Scisney, and Shanna Smith. In addition, commentary was provided by Gurney Norman (2009 KY Poet Laureate) and C. Daniel Dawson, African Art Historian. His work has been featured on the Bob Edwards show
The Bob Edwards Show
The Bob Edwards Show is an American radio program presented by Sirius XM Satellite Radio every weekday morning at 8 a.m. Eastern, with repeats at 8 a.m. Central, 7 a.m. Pacific, 6 p.m. Mountain, and the next morning at 7 a.m. Eastern...
, and the Kentucky NPR Affiliates WFPL and WUKY as well as in the program Casting the Dye: a Reading with the Affrilachian Poets, recorded Thursday, February 12, 2009, at The Art Institute of Chicago. Speakers include: Mitchell L.H. Douglas, Parneshia Jones, Kelly Norman Ellis, Ricardo Nazario Colon, Ellen Hagan, Frank X Walker, and Stephanie Pruitt, with a special guest reading by National Book Award nominee Patricia Smith on Chicago's WEBZ.
For the last 20 years Nazario y Colón has been traveling the Appalachian Region and other parts of the United States consulting on diversity, leadership development
Leadership development
Leadership development refers to any activity that enhances the quality of leadership within an individual or organization. These activities have ranged from MBA style programs offered at university business schools to action learning, high-ropes courses and executive retreats.- Developing...
and working with community groups and universities. As a member of the Affrilachian Poets he is particularly engaged in the fight against Mountain Top Soil Removal and works to educate individuals outside of the Appalachian Region.
Publications
Ricardo has been published by the following publications.- The Round Table #45, 2011
- Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel #14: America (2011)
- A Hudson View Summer 2010
- Acentos Review (online publication)
- Amphibi.us (online publication)
- Aphros Literary Magazine (Pace University)
- Arts Across Kentucky Magazine (Spring 2003)
- BlazeVox (online publication)
- Broken Circles anthology (Hunger Project, Cave Moon Press August 2011)
- Eclipsing a Nappy New Millenium: An Anthology of Contemporary Midwestern Poetry (Purdue University Haraka Press 1998)
- Falling Star Magazine (Spring 2005)
- LexArts Magazine (Issue 12)
- Louisville Review (Fall 2009)
Anthologies
Ricardo has been Anthologized by the following publications.- Broken Circles: The Food Anthology by Cave Moon Press (August 2011)
- Eclipsing a Nappy New Millenium: An Anthology of Contemporary Midwestern Poetry (Purdue University Haraka Press 1998)
- Southern Poetry Anthology, Volume III: Contemporary Appalachia (Texas Review Press December 2010)
See also
- Crystal WilkinsonCrystal WilkinsonCrystal E. Wilkinson is an African-American writer from Kentucky and founding member of the , a writing collective based in Lexington, Kentucky.-Background:...
- Amanda JohnstonAmanda JohnstonAmanda Johnston is an African American poet. She was born in East St. Louis, Illinois and currently resides in Round Rock/Austin, Texas.A Fellow and a Poet, Johnston is both a poet and performer....
- Frank X WalkerFrank X WalkerFrank X Walker is an American poet from Danville, Kentucky. A graduate of the University of Kentucky. He completed an MFA in Writing at Spalding University in May 2003....
- AppalachiaAppalachiaAppalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...
- Kentucky Foundation for WomenKentucky Foundation for WomenThe Kentucky Foundation for Women promotes feminist art and social justice by awarding grants to individual artists and organizations, providing time and space for artists and activists at its retreat center, sharing information, and building alliances....
External links
- La Loma Del Viento
- Affrilachian Poets
- Coal Black Voices Feature
- Governor's School for the Arts
- Press Release
- President's Commission on Diversity
- West Virginia Reading
- Collegiate Times Article
- Tour 2009
- Macon State University 2010
- Feature Article
- Blog Entry
- Transitions: Race, culture, and the dynamics of change By Hanna Wallinger, Austrian Association for American Studies. Conference