Keep Up With Global Black News

Sign up to our newsletter to get the latest updates and events from the leading Afro-Diaspora publisher straight to your inbox.

BY Farida Dawkins, 1:31am April 05, 2018,

6 things you need to know about Costa Rica’s first black Vice President

by Farida Dawkins, 1:31am April 05, 2018,
Epsy Campbell Barr...Q Costa Rica

By now you’ve read or heard that the Central American nation of Costa Rica has elected a Black female vice president.  Epsy Campbell Barr is now the first black woman elected as vice president in all of the Americas – a monumental time in political history, indeed.  Naturally, we all want to know more about Ms. Barr, so here are some facts about the newly elected official.

6 things you need to know about Costa Rica’s first black Vice President

Epsy Campbell Barr…Revistaraca Br

Jamaican roots

Though Barr was born in Costa Rica in 1963, her paternal grandmother and grandfather emigrated from Jamaica to the Costa Rican Caribbean coast.

6 things you need to know about Costa Rica’s first black Vice President

Epsy Campbell Barr…Facebook

Not only is she vice-president elect

Barr is an activist who advocates for women of colour. She’s a member of the Washington-D.C. based think-tank, The Inter-American Dialogue.  She has authored books on sexism and racism, the political and economic participation of women and people of African descent, to name a few.

6 things you need to know about Costa Rica’s first black Vice President

Epsy Campbell Barr…Q Costa Rica

She’s a forward-thinker

Barr serves as the leader of the Center for Women of African Descent, the Alliance of Leaders of African descent in Latin America and the Caribbean and the Black Parliament of the Americas. She is one of the founding members of the Citizen’s Action Party.

6 things you need to know about Costa Rica’s first black Vice President

Epsy Campbell Barr…Elmundo cr

A family woman

Barr became a  young wife while pursuing her university degree. She has two daughters named Narda and Tanisha.

Musically-inclined

She played the flute and saxophone from 1976 to 1983.

Jane of all trades

Barr graduated from the Latin University of Costa Rica in 1998 with a degree in economics.  She is also a researcher with experience gathering data concerning the rights of women and all others of African lineage.  She also holds a master’s degree in Development Cooperation from the Foundation for Cultural and Social Sciences of Spain, earned in 2008. Barr currently serves in the Legislative Assembly.

 

Last Edited by:Mildred Europa Taylor Updated: August 25, 2021

Conversations

Must Read

Connect with us

Join our Mailing List to Receive Updates

Face2face Africa | Afrobeatz+ | BlackStars

Keep Up With Global Black News and Events

Sign up to our newsletter to get the latest updates and events from the leading Afro-Diaspora publisher straight to your inbox, plus our curated weekly brief with top stories across our platforms.

No, Thank You