You don't have to speculate anymore. Jamaicans take up space in first-world countries.

They are business leaders, chief justices and politicians, movie actors and singers, and fashion models.

There's a high chance that you always admired their works but you didn't know they had island roots.

In volume three of the series, you'll learn a bit more about the personal histories and achievements of your favorite personalities. 

Here is a list of public figures who are Jamaican.

Ann-Marie Campbell 

Ann-Marie Campbell is a Jamaican-born business executive who since 2016 serves as the executive vice president of Home Depot, the largest home improvement company in the USA.

Campbell’s story is inspirational as she started out as a part-time cashier at a Home Depot branch in North Miami Beach, Florida working her way to the top until assuming her current position.

In 2014, she was ranked #38 on Fortune’s list of 50 most powerful women in business.

Grace Jones 

Grace Jones is a model, actress, and singer.

She was born in Spanish Town, Jamaica, and later migrated to the United States where she began her career as a model appearing in magazines such as Elle and Vogue.

Jones got a record contract with Island Records in 1977, which sparked numerous dance club hits.

Her biggest hits include: “Pull Up to the Bumper”, “Private Life”, “and Slave to the Rhythm”.

Grace Jones also appeared in several films such as “Conan the Destroyer” in 1984 alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, the 1985 James Bond film, “A View to Kill” and the 1992 movie “Boomerang” with Eddie Murphy.

Her androgynous appearance and personality influenced the cross-dressing movement of the 1980s.

She has been an inspiration for numerous other artists, such as Annie Lennox, Lady Gaga, and Rihanna.

Kerry Washington

Kerry Marisa Washington is an American actress who was born to Jamaican educational consultant, Valerie Washington in the Bronx, New York in 1977.

Washington gained immense popularity in 2012 starring in ABC’s hit drama series as “Olivia Pope”, a crisis management expert to politicians in Washington DC.

She also starred in popular movies such as “Ray”, “The Last King of Scotland” and “Django Unchained”.

Washington has also received numerous accolades for her work including four NAACP Awards as well as several nominations for the Prime Time Emmys, Golden Globes, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. 
 

Lennox Lewis

Despite having Jamaican heritage on both sides of his family, Lennox Lewis, a former world heavyweight champion, first gained international recognition representing Canada at the 1988 Olympics where he won a gold medal.

Born in the UK, Lewis is also the first British national to win the world championship in a century.

In 1992, he topped the rankings of the World Boxing Council (WBC) and later, in 1993, became the WBC heavyweight champion.

In 2008, Lewis was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and in 2009, the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

He is now retired from the sport.

Louis Farrakhan
 
Louis Farrakhan was born in 1933, in the Bronx, New York to a Jamaican father.

He joined the Nation of Islam in 1955 and in 1978 led a breakaway group of the Nation of Islam that promulgated the original teachings of Elijah Muhammad.

Farrakhan started a newspaper, “The Final Call”, which assisted him in disseminating his views to the masses.

Farrakhan’s most outstanding accomplishment occurred in October 1995 when he led the Million Man March in Washington, D.C where he championed black men to support their communities and families.