April Lawson, NBC Chicago Street Team
The term “Black Irish” is commonly used to refer to dark haired Irish Caucasians that don’t resemble the porcelain skinned, red or flaxen haired stereotype. But here is some little known history. During the mid-18th century there were small numbers of black African and Caribbean people residing in Ireland especially Dublin. Never very numerous, most of them were assimilated into the larger population by the second third of the 19th century.
Notable Americans like Alex Haley, Rosa Parks, Jimi Hendrix, Derrick Jeter, Claude McKay and Ella Fitzgerald can all trace their roots back to Scottish/Irish ancestors. So does that make Shaquille O’Neal Black Irish? Not for certain, but here are some well-known native born Afro-Irish. Samantha Mumba is a pop singer and actress of Zambian and Irish descent from Ireland. Her most notable role was Mara in the 2002 film, The Time Machine. Songwriter and bassist Philip Parris Lynott came to prominence as the frontman of the wildly popular Irish rock band, Thin Lizzy. Thin Lizzy is best known for the hit ‘The Boys are Back in Town, 1976 He was the son of an Afro Brazilian father and an Irish mother. Happy St. Patrick’s Day to the entire global village!
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