Ricardo Nazario y Colón

Ricardo Nazario y Colón (born 1967) is a Puerto Rican poet, artist, higher education administrator, author, language teacher, and former United States Marine.

Ricardo Nazario y Colón
Born1967
South Bronx, New York
OccupationPoet Higher Education Administrator
ChildrenHas two children

Life

Ricardo Nazario y Colón was born in 1967 in the old Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx to Francisca Colón Lopez, a waitress, and Benito Reinaldo Nazario Acosta, a piano finisher. He is a poet, environmental justice 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 Steve Beshear to serve on the state's Native American Heritage Commission.[1]

Government Service

In 2009 Ricardo was appointed by Kentucky Governor Steven Beshear to serve a three-year term on the Kentucky Native American Heritage Commission. In 2016 He was appointed by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper to the Governor's Advisory Council on Hispanic/Latino Affairs. In 2019, he became was nominated to serve a second term and became the chair of the Governor's Advisory Council on Hispanic/Latino Affairs.

Education

Ricardo Nazario y Colón attended Jesus T. Piñero primary school in Carruzos, Puerto Rico and Lou Gehrig I.S. 151 in the South Bronx. After attending the DeWitt Clinton High School[2] 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).

Affrilachian Poets

As a student at the University of Kentucky Nazario y Colón became a co-founder[3] of the Affrilachian Poets.[4] In 2001 he was featured in the PBS documentary Coal Black Voices[5] produced by the Media Working Group. Featuring 2011 National Book Award Winner Nikky Finney,[6] 2005 Lanaan Fellowship Award Winner Frank X Walker,[7] Crystal Wilkinson,[8] Kelly Norman Ellis, Paul C. Taylor, Bernard Clay, Mitchell L.H. Douglass,[9] Daundra Scisney, and Shanna Smith. In addition, commentary was provided by Gurney Norman (2009 KY Poet Laureate)[10] 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[11] on Chicago's WEBZ.[12]

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[4] he is particularly engaged in the fight against mountaintop removal mining and works to educate individuals outside the Appalachian region.[13]

Bibliography
  • "Of Jíbaros and Hillbillies". 2011.
  • The Recital. Winged City Chapbooks. 2011.

Publications

Ricardo has been published by the following publications.

Anthologies

Ricardo has been Anthologized by the following publications.

Video Features
  • Coal Black Voices: the History of the Affrilachian Poets, which received the 2002-2003 Jesse Stuart Award presented by the Kentucky School Media Association
  • KY2NYC: Art/life & 9.11, exploring the effects of 9.11 on the arts community.

See also

References
  1. "Kentucky: Heritage Council - Overview". Heritage.ky.gov. 2013-08-28. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  2. http://clinton.ny.schoolwebpages.com/education/school/school.php?sectionid=2
  3. "Account Suspended". Affrilachianpoets.com. Archived from the original on 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  4. "affrilachianpoets.com". affrilachianpoets.com. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  5. "coalblackvoices.com". coalblackvoices.com. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  6. "nikkyfinney.net". nikkyfinney.net. 2013-08-29. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  7. "frankxwalker.com". frankxwalker.com. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  8. "crystalwilkinson.com". crystalwilkinson.com. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  9. "Mitchell L.H. Douglas - Home". Mitchelldouglaspoetry.com. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  10. Archived June 18, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  11. Mike Stanfill, Private Hand, www.privatehand.com. "wordwoman.ws". wordwoman.ws. Retrieved 2013-09-21.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. Archived April 8, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  13. "Affrialachia Magazine Showcases Poetry « Appalachian Voices". Appvoices.org. 2007-09-10. Archived from the original on 2013-09-23. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
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