| Ricardo Nazario y Colón | |
|---|---|
Affrilachian Poet and educator |
|
| Born | 1967 South Bronx, New York |
| Occupation | Poet |
Ricardo Nazario y Colón (born 1967) is a Puerto Rican Poet, Artist, Higher Education Administrator, Author, Language teacher, and former United States Marine.
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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 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 Hon. Steve Beshear, to serve on the states Native American Heritage Commission.
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 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).
As a student at the University of Kentucky Nazario y Colón became a co-founder[1] 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.[2]
"Of Jíbaros and Hillbillies" 2011 from [1]. "The Recital" 2011 from Winged City Chapbooks.
Ricardo has been published by the following publications.
Ricardo has been Anthologized by the following publications.