Dr. Marta Moreno Vega Is The Architect Of Afro-Latino Cultural Equity

Dr. Marta Moreno Vega is a foundational figure in the global movement for cultural equity.

The esteemed scholar, author, and institution builder, whose influence has indelibly shaped the Afro-Latino landscape for over 50 years, has a career marked by a singular drive to confront systemic inequality, centered on ensuring that the contributions of African and African descendants are integral to civil society in the diaspora and the Americas. 

Dr. Moreno Vega’s vision is best encapsulated by her own philosophy, “It is in honoring our unique contributions that we establish common grounds of understanding.”

Born and raised in El Barrio, the Black woman of Puerto Rican descent’s institutional legacy began in 1971, when she became the second director of El Museo del Barrio. 

However, her defining achievement came in 1976, when she founded the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI), driven by the need to create an international organization that would promote and unite Africans and their diasporans.

As the founder and executive director of the CCCADI, she successfully spearheaded the capital campaign to renovate its landmark home at 120 East 125th Street in Harlem.

A Lifetime of Institution Building and Advocacy

Dr. Moreno Vega’s dedication to creating new spaces for opportunity is unparalleled. Throughout her life, she established the Association of Hispanic Arts and the Network of Centers of Color and served as a founding board member for both the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC) and the Roundtable of Institutions of Color. She was also the co-founder of the Global Afro-Latino and Caribbean Initiative (GALCI).

In 2017, the olorisa founded the Creative Justice Initiative (CJI) to address a critical need she identifies: “Arts and culture organizations representing communities of Black/African and African Descendants, Latinx, Native, Arab, Asian, South Asian, Pacific Islander, Appalachian, LGBTQIA+/Two Spirit and People with Disabilities remain chronically underserved and underfunded.” 

Under the banner “Achieving Cultural Equity,” which has informed her lifelong approach, the CJI launched its first national action—a comprehensive survey to map the depth of this disparity.

Engagements on Race, Media, and Colorism

Dr. Moreno Vega remains a crucial voice in contemporary public discourse, applying her deep understanding of colonialism and diaspora to modern debates. In 2021, she contributed her expertise to the national discussion surrounding the colorism controversy that overshadowed the release of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s film, In the Heights.

Speaking on the PIX11 Morning news, Dr. Moreno Vega explained why colorism—a prejudice deeply embedded in Latinx communities and tracing its roots to colonialism—remains so prevalent, even in Hollywood’s most anticipated blockbusters. 

Scholarly and Artistic Endeavors

Dr. Moreno Vega is a prolific author and filmmaker whose works are central to Afro-Latino cultural studies. She is the chief editor of Women Warriors of the Afro-Latina Diaspora (Arte Publico Press) and the author of the best-selling memoir, The Altar of My Soul (One World/Ballantine, 2001). Her personal memoir, When the Spirits Dance Mambo: Growing Up Nuyorican in El Barrio (Three Rivers Press, 2003), was co-produced as a documentary.

Before dedicating herself fully to her foundations, Dr. Moreno Vega was an esteemed academic, holding positions at the Inter American University of Puerto Rico, El Centro de Estudios Avanzados Puertorriquenos de Puerto Rico y El Caribe, and as an adjunct professor in New York University’s Department of Arts and Public Policy.

Ancestral Intelligence and Future Focus

Following the devastating Hurricanes Irma and María in 2017, Dr. Moreno Vega moved to the island of her ancestral roots and, in 2018, co-founded Corredor Afro with Dr. Maricruz Rivera Clemente. 

The international creative, sociocultural project focuses on conserving and making visible the cultural heritage and ancestral intelligence of Afro-descendants in the Caribbean. 

Most recently, she founded Afro-Global Network, a Caribbean-based organization with a global perspective.

Her colleagues note that Dr. Moreno Vega’s unwavering vision for collective liberation aligns perfectly with the current global movement for Black lives, creating spaces for communities “to see themselves in an empowering light while challenging oppression.” 

In September 2025, the beloved Puerto Rican activist and advocate was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from Soy Monumental Puerto Rico. “What a privilege to be able to celebrate Dr @martamorenovega at the @soymonumentalpr’s lifetime achievement gala in her honor. The Brooklyn space hosting this event was filled with people whose lives she has touched as a community leader, institution builder, mentor, madrina, friend, mother, and overall inspiration. I met this living legend as a theatre student at the now historic National Black Theatre Summit, “On Golden Pond,” held at Dartmouth in 1998. I had read about her work to that point and knew I needed to meet this powerhouse of a woman. Decades later, I am still in awe! ¡Felicidades maestra!”

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