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'Afro-Trinidadian people' or 'Afro-Trinidadians' refers to people of African descent who are citizens or nationals of Trinidad and Tobago. They are also referred to simply as African, black, Negro or Creole. Afro-Trinidadians account for 39.5% of the population of Trinidad and Tobago as of 2000. An additional 18.4% of the population described themselves as being of Mixed Race; most of them are also of African descent, (see Creole).

Contents

Origins

Culture

Religious Groups

Notable Afro-Trinidadians

See also

Origins

The ultimate origin of all Afros in the Americas is in Africa. Ancestors from the west coast of Africa, which now includes Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Togo, Guinea, Cameroon, Angola and Guinea-Bissau, among others. Many of them were from tribes such as the Yoruba, Ashanti, Kru, Mandinka, Rada and Itsekiri. All of these tribes, among others, were affected by the Slave Trade.
The majority of Afro-Trinidadians were the descendants of immigrants from other islands of the Caribbean, especially Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Barbados. Other Afro-Trinidadians trace their ancestry to American slaves recruited to fight for the British in the War of 1812 or from indentured labourers from West Africa.

Culture

The massive influx of African slaves to Tobagonian and Trinidadian shores that happened in the 16th and 18th century respectively was important in shaping the cultural space of Trinidad and Tobago. Afro Trinidadian culture is immanent within and encapsulates all other cultures. Afro-Trinidadian culture is decisive in Steelpan Culture, Carnival Culture, and Calypso Culture and also helped in many ways to shape.

Religious Groups

Most Afro-Trinidadians are Christian, with the largest group being Roman Catholics, Anglicans and (in Tobago) Methodists. Smaller numbers follow Afro-Caribbean syncretic faiths like the Spiritual Baptist Church and the Rastafari movement. Non-Christians include adherents of Islam, the Orisha faith, the Bahá'í Faith, Hinduism or are followers of Sai Baba.

Notable Afro-Trinidadians

★ Eric Williams - first Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago.

★ Sir Ellis Clarke - first President of Trinidad and Tobago and major architect of the republican constitution.

★ A.N.R. Robinson - third Prime Minister and third President of Trinidad and Tobago.

★ Leroy Clarke artist, writer, poet, social critic, activist.

★ Austin "Jack" Warner - football administrator, FIFA Vice-President, CONCACAF President.

★ Dwight Yorke - professional football player for Manchester United and other European and Australian teams.

★ Kelle Jacob - America's Next Top Model contestant

★ Earl Lovelace - Novelist, playwright and short-story writer.

★ Foxy Brown - Rap Star and Actress

★ Mike Bibby - NBA player

★ Nia Long - American film actress

★ Roi Kwabena-Poet, Publisher, Cultural Anthropologist, Historian

★ Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael) - Civil Rights activist and "Black Power" advocate.

★ Brian Lara - West Indian Superstar Batsman, & Leading Test run scorer, & Owner of both the highest test & first class score.

★ Leary Joseph-Famous comedian in Antilles and America

★ Lloyd Algernon Best- Economist, Politician, Political Analyst, Columnist, Lecturer, Statesman

★ Moira Stuart- female newsreader on British television

★ C. L. R. James- journalist, socialist theorist and writer.

★ Janelle Commissiong - first Trinidadian and black Miss Universe

See also

★ Indo-Trinidadian people

★ Dougla