Luis Martínez-Fernández
Dr. Luis Martínez-Fernández is a historian, university professor, author, consultant and public speaker whose fields of expertise include Latin America; the Caribbean; education; world cultures; and Latino/Hispanic politics, culture and society.
Born in Havana, Cuba, and raised in Lima, Peru, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, he holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in history from the University of Puerto Rico and a Ph.D. in history from Duke University.
A professor of history at the University of Central Florida since 2004, he is recognized as one of the most prolific and influential scholars in the field of Caribbean Studies. His publications include articles in the Cuban Studies journal, the Slavery & Abolition journal, the Latin American Research Review, The Americas journal, the Caribbean Studies journal and numerous edited volumes.
His books include “Fighting Slavery in the Caribbean”; “Revolutionary Cuba: A History,” widely acclaimed as the most comprehensive and systematic study on the subject ever written; and “Key to the New World: A History of Early Colonial Cuba,” winner of the 2018 Florida Book Awards bronze medal for nonfiction and the 2019 International Latino Book Awards gold medal in history.
Martínez-Fernández served as trustee of the College Board (2009-2015) and on numerous professional, editorial and community boards, among them the Cuban Studies journal, the South Atlantic Humanities Center, Hispanic Young Professionals, the Community Advisory Board of central Florida’s WMFE radio and the Historical Society of Central Florida board of directors executive committee. In 2005, he founded the annual Latin American Cultural Festival of Orlando.
In March 2019, Martínez-Fernández joined the board of directors of the National Council for History Education as board secretary.
Before joining Creators Syndicate in September 2020, Martínez-Fernández wrote op-eds for different media including the Christian Science Monitor, The Chronicle of Higher Education, the Orlando Sentinel, the Miami Herald and The Globe Post.
