This is a list of notable Jamaican Americans, including both original immigrants who obtained American citizenship and their American descendants.
List
Academics
Opal Palmer Adisa – Professor Emeritus at California College of the Arts Elizabeth Alexander – Wun Tsun Tam Mellon Professor in the Humanities in the Department of English and Comparative Literature, Columbia University. Chancellor Emeritus of the Academy of American Poets Deborah Archer – Jacob K. Javits Professor at New York University and Professor of Clinical Law at New York University School of Law Frederic G. Cassidy (1907-2000) – Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Founder of the Dictionary of American Regional English Susan Collins – Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at University of Michigan. The Edward M. Gramlich Collegiate Professor of Public Policy and Professor of Economics Paul R. Cunningham – Dean Emeritus of the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. The first African-American to serve as dean of the Brody School Trevor Dawes – Vice Provost for Libraries and Museums and May Morris University Librarian. President of the Association of College and Research Libraries Tashni-Ann Dubroy – Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer (COO) of Howard University Carol Lani Guinier (1950-2022) – Bennett Boskey Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. The first woman of colour appointed to a tenured professorship at Harvard law school Ewart Guinier (1910-1990) – founding chairman of Harvard University's Department of African and African-American Studies Donald J. Harris – Professor Emeritus at Stanford University, father of the 49th vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris Odette Harris – Professor of Neurosurgery at Stanford University and the Director of the Brain Injury Program for the Stanford University School of Medicine. America’s second Black female professor of neurosurgery Peter Blair Henry – Dean of New York University's Leonard N. Stern School of Business and William R. Berkley Professor of Economics and Business Jason D. Hill – Professor of Philosophy at DePaul University Robert A. Hill – Professor Emeritus of History and Research Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) William Jacob Holland (1848-1932) – Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh and Director of the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh Jacqueline Hughes-Oliver – Professor of Statistics at North Carolina State University Gene Andrew Jarrett – Dean of the Faculty and William S. Tod Professor of English at Princeton University. Founding editor-in-chief of the Oxford Bibliographies module on African American Studies Marcia V. Keizs – former president of York College, City University of New York Heather Knight – former president of Pacific Union College.The first black president and first female president in Pacific Union College history. The first black female to lead a Seventh-day Adventist college in the United States Charles Wade Mills (1951-2021) – Professor at Graduate Center, CUNY and Northwestern University Melisa Murray – Professor of law at NYU Keith Anthony Morrison – Dean of the Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Philadelphia Colin A. Palmer (1944-2019) – Dodge Professor of History at Princeton University Orlando Patterson – The John Cowles Professor of Sociology at Harvard University Paul Ramphal – Adjunct Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Donald Richards – Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Statistics at Pennsylvania State University Dorceta Taylor – Senior Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Yale School of the Environment. Also Yale's Professor of Environmental Justice She was the first African American woman to earn a doctoral degree from Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies Ekwueme Michael Thelwell – founding chairman of the Department of African-American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Heather A. Williams – Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought and Professor of Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania Henry Vernon Wong – Professor Emeritus at the University of Texas, Austin Peter Wayne Lewis – Professor Emeritus of Fine Art Painting at Massachusetts College of Art & Design
Actors Roxanne Beckford Tyson Beckford Harry Belafonte – Emmy, Oscar and Tony Awards winner; first black actor to win an Emmy Shari Belafonte Marsha Stephanie Blake Corbin Bleu – film/television actor and vocalist (High School Musical)Corbin Bleu – "I'm a spicy blend of Jamaican (my dad) and Italian (my mom)." Doug E. Doug Parisa Fitz-Henley Chip Fields Kim Fields Antonia Gentry Dulé Hill Grace Jones Robinne Lee Delroy Lindo Carl Lumbly Camille McDonald Alano Miller Wentworth Miller Shameik Moore Lewis Morrison (1844/5-1906) – Grandparent to Constance and Joan Bennett Olivia Olson Evan Parke Jada Pinkett Smith – Daytime Emmy Award winner Sheryl Lee Ralph – Primetime Emmy Award winner David Reivers Kevin Michael Richardson Antoinette Robertson Frank Silvera (1914-1970) Madge Sinclair (1938-1995) – Primetime Emmy Award winner Basil Wallace Kerry Washington – Primetime Emmy Award winner Susan Kelechi Watson Robert Wisdom
Business
Trisha Bailey – entrepreneur, personal wealth estimated to exceed $700 million Richard Arthur Bogle (1835-1904) – Walla Walla's first black businessman. Co-founder of the Walla Walla Savings and Loan Association Ann-Marie Campbell – Executive Vice President, U.S. Stores & International Operations, The Home Depot Vincent "Randy" Chin (1937-2003) – founder of VP Records Susan Collins – President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston (from July 2022). The first black female to lead a regional Federal bank Emma Grede – CEO and co-founder (with Khloe Kardashian) of Good American. Founding partner of Skims. Golden Krust – founded in Jamaica by the Hawthorne family. Over 100 Golden Krust restaurants operate in the U.S Vincent HoSang – CEO and founder of Caribbean Food Delights and Royal Caribbean Bakery James Bruce Llewelly (1927-2010) – businessman, personal wealth estimated to exceed $160 million Pat McGrath – British Jamaican based in New York. Founder of Pat McGrath Labs which has as an estimated value of $1 billion Graham N Robinson – Senior Vice President and President of Stanley Industrial, Stanley Black & Decker Janice Savin Williams – Senior Principal and co-founder of The Williams Capital Group, L.P Jacky Wright – Chief Digital Officer and Corporate Vice President at Microsoft US Jo Cato – entrepreneur, founder, Periwinkle Group, Grab and Go Vending (Airport concession and retail stores)
Law
Deborah Archer – President of the American Civil Liberties Union, first African American to hold the position. Civil rights lawyer Michelle Bernard – President and CEO of the Bernard Centre For Women, Politics & Public Policy. Lawyer and political analyst Renatha Francis – circuit judge Claudia L. Gordon – lawyer, first deaf black female attorney in the United States and the first deaf graduate of American University's law school Carol Lani Guinier (1950-2022) – civil rights lawyer Ewart Guinier (1910-1990) – lawyer and trades union leader Maya Harris – lawyer and public policy advocate. Sister of the 49th vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris Sheila Jackson Lee – lawyer and politician Leondra Kruger – Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California. Acting Principal Deputy Solicitor General of the United States in the Obama administration David Patrick Rowe (1959-2018) – lawyer Jewel Scott – first Jamaican American judge in Georgia. First Jamaican American (female) appointed as a Judge of the Clayton County Superior Court. First woman and first Caribbean-American District Attorney for Clayton County. Alison Smith – lawyer, first black woman president of Florida's Broward County Bar Association James Lopez Watson (1922-2001) – judge of the United States Court of International Trade. First African-American to head a federal court in the American Deep South. James S. Watson (1882-1952) – one of the first two black Americans elected as a judge in the state of New York. The first justice of African descent to sit in judgment on white litigants and the first African American attorney nominated to the American Bar Association since 1912 Barbara M. Watson (1918-1983) – lawyer and diplomat. First black person and the first woman to serve as an Assistant Secretary of State Damian Williams – lawyer, first African-American U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York
Military
Clifford Alexander Jr. – former Secretary of the Army, first African American to hold the position John Davis (1854-1903) – United States Navy sailor, recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor Lorna Mahlock – Brigadier General in the United States Marine Corps; first black female to hold the position Jeanine Menze – Commander and first black female aviator in the history of the U.S. Coast Guard Colin Luther Powell (1937-2021) – statesman and four-star general in the United States Army Vincent R. Stewart – first African American, first Jamaican American and first Marine to hold the position of Director of the DIA
Musicians
Aaliyah (1979-2001) A-Plus Astro – rapper Joey Bada$$ – rapper Afrika Bambaataa Harry Belafonte – three-time Grammy Award winner Thom Bell – one of the creators of Philadelphia soul. Two-time Grammy Award winner Big Tigger Bushwick Bill (1966-2019) Busta Rhymes Bobby Shmurda Luther Campbell (Uncle Luke) Canibus Capital STEEZ (1993-2012) Chubb Rock Sandra Denton – Grammy Award winner Delroy Edwards Diana King Etana Chuck Fenda Flatbush Zombies Funkmaster Flex CJ Fly Heavy D (1967-2011) Hodgy Beats Grand Puba Iniko Tori Kelly – two-time Grammy Award winner Sean Kingston DJ Kool Herc KRS-One Alaine Laughton Masego Stephen Marley – eight-time Grammy Award winner Moi Renée (died 1997) – singer and performer, known for the 1992 house single "Miss Honey" Denroy Morgan (1945-2022) Gramps Morgan – member of Grammy Award-winning reggae band Morgan Heritage DJ Mustard Mýa – Grammy Award winner NLE Choppa Renee Neufville The Notorious B.I.G.(1972-1997) – rapper Olivia Longott Styles P Christopher "Kid" Reid Pretty Ricky Tarrus Riley Pete Rock Safaree Samuels Gil Scott-Heron (1949-2011) – Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award Shaggy – two-time Grammy Award winner Ski Mask the Slump God – rapper Pop Smoke – rapper Robb Banks Justine Skye Sleepy Hallow Ernie Smith Wifisfuneral – rapper Mike Smith Simi Sernaker Special Ed Lil Tecca – rapper Tyga – rapper will.i.am – rapper, member of the Black Eyed Peas XXXTentacion – rapper YFN Lucci – rapper Young M.A – rapper JPEGMafia Tevin Campbell – singer Toosii – singer Rowdy Rebel – rapper Rican Da Menace - rapper Slayr - rapper
Politics
Ronald Blackwood (1926–2017) – Mayor of Mount Vernon, New York (1985–1996), first elected black mayor in New York state Michael Blake – former vice chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) David Bowen – member of the Wisconsin State Assembly Anthony Brown – Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives Tanya Chutkan – judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia Kristen Clarke – Head of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, the first woman to hold the position Yvette Clarke – Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives Jacob De Cordova (1808–1868) – elected to the Texas House of Representatives. Founder of the Jamaica Gleaner Brian A. Cunningham – member of the New York State Assembly Alexander J. Dallas (1759–1817) – United States Secretary of the Treasury under President James Madison