Today is February 1st and the first day of Black History month. The purpose of having such a month is learn about the influence and contributions of Black Americans in our shared history. Today I learned, the first Black man to arrive was actually sailing the Santa María.

A navigator and explorer of African ancestry, Pedro Alonso Niño traveled with Christopher Columbus’ first expedition to the New World in 1492. Also know as “El Negro” he was a native of Moguer, Spain. Niño acted as pilot of the Santa María during the first voyage of Christopher Columbus. His brothers were with him; Juan Niño as the master of the ship, and Francisco Niño a sailor.

The brothers also took part in Columbus’s second voyage in which it is well-documented that Pedro was with Columbus when he “discovered” Trinidad. 

Pedro set out on his own expedition, in search of riches in the Americas that Columbus had not ventured through. Although he successfully returned to Spain, he was accused of cheating the King of twenty percent of the treasure and arrested. He died in prison before he could go to trial.