American Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 45 (2024) Winner
Felipe Luciano
フェリペ・ルシアーノ
Felipe Luciano
Aliases:
Phillip (出生名)
Pen Names:
Felipe Luciano（Used publicly and professionally; changed from birth name to emphasize Puerto Rican identity.）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- East Harlem (Spanish Harlem), New York City
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English, Spanish
- Religion
- Pentecostal Christianity (family background)
- Residence History
- Spanish Harlem (East Harlem), New York → Upper East Side, New York
Career
- Occupations
- poet, community activist, journalist, media personality, politician
- Active Years
- 1966-
- Affiliations
- The Last Poets (poetry/performance ensemble), Young Lords (co-founder of New York chapter), Boricua Artists Guild, WNBC / WNYW (worked as reporter/anchor)
- Memberships
- Young Lords, The Last Poets, Boricua Artists Guild
- Influenced By
- Black Arts Movement, Nuyorican poets (e.g. Victor Hernández Cruz)
- Influenced
- Generations of Nuyorican and Afro-Latinx activists and poets, Community organizers and Black/Latinx media personalities
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queens College, City University of New York | — | Political Science | — | 1960年代（入学は服役後） | United States |
Queens College, City University of New York
Political Science
Period:
1960年代（入学は服役後）
Country:
United States
Attended following release from prison.
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Jíbaro, My Pretty N**** (poem)
PoetryA poem that challenges Puerto Ricans to accept Blackness, island roots, and shared plight with African Americans. Uses nature imagery and addresses radical Black love, migration, and diaspora.
Black pridediasporamigrationethnic identity
Bibliography
- Contributions of poems and writings to Pa'lante (Young Lords' newspaper)
- Poems included in anthologies (e.g. Puerto Rican Poetry: An Anthology ...)
Adaptations
- Appearances in films about poetry such as 'Right On!: Poetry on Film'
- Featured in documentaries such as 'Yo soy Boricua, pa'que tu lo sepas!'
- Minor appearances in feature films such as 'It Could Happen to You'
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- colloquial, rhythmic spoken-word deliverydirect and confrontational social critique
- Recurring Motifs
- affirmation of Blacknessnature imagery (the jíbaro as symbol)community and solidaritymigration and diaspora
Legacy
Felipe Luciano played a significant role in awakening consciousness among Puerto Rican communities in New York during the 1960s–70s and in making Afro-Latinx identities visible. Through his poetry, direct action, and media work he contributed to fighting anti-Blackness and advancing community rights; his influence persists in Afro-Latinx culture and community activism.
In Popular Culture
- Featured in documentaries and films about poetry and community activism
Quotes
-
I want to be remembered as a scholar, a poet, a writer, and as a warrior for his people.
Source: Interview / biographical statement
Trivia
- Convicted of manslaughter as a teenager and served approximately two years in prison.
- Worked as a reporter for WNBC and is regarded as one of the first Puerto Rican news anchors on a major U.S. network.
- Co-founded the New York chapter of the Young Lords and led community empowerment actions.
- Was a member of The Last Poets, contributing to the spoken-word poetic tradition.