Rosa Clemente
A fierce advocate who bridges hip-hop activism and political organizing, she became the first Afro-Latina on a presidential ticket.
Born 1972 (age 54)·American journalist·Birthday: April 18·Generation X
Biography
Rosa Clemente's work exists at the powerful intersection of culture, journalism, and radical politics. A Bronx-born Puerto Rican, she emerged from the hip-hop generation as a community organizer and independent journalist, using media to amplify stories of marginalized communities often ignored by mainstream outlets. Her activism is rooted in a firm belief in self-determination, fighting against environmental racism, mass incarceration, and colonial status for Puerto Rico. In 2008, this grassroots work propelled her onto the national stage when she was selected as the vice-presidential running mate for Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney. While the ticket garnered limited votes, Clemente's candidacy made history, marking the first time an Afro-Latina appeared on a presidential ballot. She continues to work as a speaker, journalist, and organizer, insisting that true political change comes from the streets, not just the ballot box.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Rosa was born in 1972, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Rosa Was Born
The biggest hits of 1972
#1 Movie
The Godfather
Best Picture
The Godfather
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Rosa's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1972Born
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1977Started school
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1985Became a teenager
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Could drive
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1990Could vote
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Turned 21
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2002Turned 30
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 40
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 50
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 54 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Nominated as the Vice Presidential candidate for the Green Party in the 2008 U.S. election, alongside Cynthia McKinney.
- Founded and leads Know Thy Self Productions, which organizes national tours and events for hip-hop activists.
- Served as the coordinator for the first National Hip-Hop Political Convention in 2004.
- Worked as a correspondent for Pacifica Radio and has written for publications like The Huffington Post and The Guardian.
- Appointed to the board of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
Did You Know?
She earned a master's degree in political science from Cornell University, focusing on the history of the Young Lords and the Black Panther Party.
She was a student activist at the University at Albany, SUNY, where she helped establish a Department of Africana Studies.
In 2020, she was considered a potential running mate for Green Party presidential candidate Howie Hawkins.
She is a lifelong fan of the New York Yankees.
“I am not an African American. I am an Afro-Latina. My people are from Puerto Rico. We are a colonized people.”
