Carlos A. Cooks was born in the Dominican Republic on June 23, 1913 to James Henry Cooks and Alice Cooks, who were originally from the neighboring island of St. Martin. His education took place mostly in Santo Domingo until moving to New York in 1929 where he went on to higher learning. Cooks was known for his love of sports and his expertise in boxing. His intellect was recognized from an early age and he attended the leadership school in the Voodoo Sacré Society. Cooks' involvement in the UNIA comes as no surprise as both his uncle and father were among the many St. Martiners who were members of the Marcus Garvey-led organization. He was a key link in the history of Black American nationalism between Marcus Garvey before him and Malcolm X, whom he influenced. Carlos Cooks administered the Advance Division of the UNIA after Marcus Garvey was deported. He founded the African Nationalist Pioneer Movement. The African Nationalist Pioneer Movement Born out of Garvey's United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), the African Nationalist Pioneer Movement (ANPM) was started by Carlos Cooks on June 23, 1941.[3] He envisioned the ANPM as "an educational, inspirational, instructive, constructive and expansive society... composed of people desirous of bringing about a progressive, dignified, cultural, fraternal and racial confraternity among the African peoples of the world." It was Carlos Cooks who coined the phrase “BUY BLACK” as an economic solvency in the various African Communities throughout America. It was Carlos Cooks who first initiated the concept of natural hair as an issue of racial pride through his ANPM’s MISS NATURAL STANDARD OF BEAUTY CONTEST. It was Carlos Cooks who first perfected an oratorical art of street speaking from his step-ladder, all over Harlem, but, especially on 125th Street and 7th Avenue. It was Carlos Cooks who first defined the difference between the terms Black and/or African as opposed to “Negro” and fought to have the latter word abrogated as a racial classification. Cooks never receive his proper recognition. He died May 5th, 1966 in Harlem. #carloscooks #afrodominican #blackpeople #africanhistorymonth #veryblack https://www.instagram.com/p/B8DmIyiFFN2/?igshid=yv9r5by9xqak
