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Sidney Poitier (1927-2022) -

Born in Miami to Afro-Bahamian farmers who were visiting the US, Sidney Poitier was the first black actor and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. He grew up in the Bahamas, but moved to Miami at age 15.

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Nicki Minaj -

Proudly of Indo- and Afro-Trinidadian roots, and in fact born in Trinidad and Tobago, Nicki Minaj often incorporates the sounds of her background into her music. Minaj moved to New York when she was five.

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Lenny Kravitz -

While it's well known that the famous musician was born to a black mother and a white father, many aren't aware that he's also of Caribbean descent. His mother, actress Roxie Roker, was half Bahamian.

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Zoë Kravitz -

This means that actress Zoë Kravitz, Lenny's daughter, is also of Bahamian descent.

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Kerry Washington -

Kerry Washington’s mother, Valerie Washington, is of a mixed-race background from Jamaica.

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Nia Long -

The famed actress is another celebrity who is of Caribbean heritage. Her mother is of Trinidadian descent.

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Harry Belafonte (1927-2023) -

The famed singer, actor, and activist, who popularized calypso music, was born in New York to parents from Martinique and Jamaica.

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Jada Pinkett Smith -

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Jada Pinkett Smith has Jamaican and Bajan ancestry on her maternal side.

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A$AP Rocky -

Rihanna isn't A$AP Rocky's only Barbadian connection. The rapper's father is also from Barbados.

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Cuba Gooding Jr. -

The Academy Award-winning actor's paternal grandfather was a native of Barbados.

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Cicely Tyson (1924-2021) -

Renowned actress Cicely Tyson was born in New York to parents from Nevis in the West Indies.

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Grace Jones -

Born in Jamaica, Grace Jones and her family moved to Syracuse, New York, when she was 13 years old.

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LL Cool J -

The rapper’s grandfather immigrated to the US from Barbados.

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Tyson Beckford -

The famous model was born in Rochester, New York, to a Jamaican mother and a Panamanian father of Jamaican and Chinese-Jamaican descent.

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Busta Rhymes -

Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, both of Busta Rhymes’ parents are Jamaican.

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Alfonso Ribeiro -

Born in New York City, both of the actor and host's parents are Afro-Trinidadian.

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Jackée Harry -

Actress Jackée Harry’s mother is Afro-Trinidadian and her father is African-American.

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Tia and Tamera Mowry -

Did you know that twin sisters Tia and Tamera Mowry are also of Caribbean heritage? Their mother is of Afro-Bahamian descent.

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Tahj Mowry -

This means that their younger brother, actor and singer Tahj Mowry, is also of Bahamian descent.

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Tatyana Ali -

The 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ star's mother is Afro-Panamanian, while her father is Indo-Trinidadian.

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Sheryl Lee Ralph -

Sheryl Lee Ralph’s mother is a Jamaican fashion designer, and the actress grew up between Mandeville, Jamaica, and Long Island, New York.

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Trina -

The Miami rapper's mother is from the Bahamas, while her father is from the Dominican Republic.

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Garcelle Beauvais -

Garcelle Beauvais was born in Saint-Marc, Haiti, and moved to the US when she was seven.

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Lorraine Toussaint -

Born in Trinidad, actress Lorraine Toussaint and her mother moved to Brooklyn, New York, when she was 10 years old.

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Winston Duke -

Best known for his role as M'Baku in the 'Black Panther' movies, Winston Duke was born in the village of Argyle, Tobago. He moved to Brooklyn with his mother and sister at age nine.

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Dulé Hill -

The 'West Wing' actor's parents are Jamaican. He was born and raised in New Jersey.

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Persia White -

'Girlfriends' actress Persia White was born in Nassau to an Irish-American mother and a Bahamian father. She moved to South Florida as a young child. 

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Romany Malco -

The Brooklyn-born actor's family is from Trinidad and Tobago.

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Maxwell -

The singer is the son of a Haitian mother and a Puerto Rican father.

Sources: (Essence) (Caribbean Beat)

See also: The many musical styles of the Caribbean

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