Ismael Rivera (1931-1987) was an Afro-Puerto Rican singer, who captured the hearts and imagination of Afro-Latin people worldwide.  His songs, which commented on racism and daily life for the poor and celebrated black beauty, are still part of Latin American radio today.  In 1997, a group of relatives and friends opened the Fundación Ismael Rivera (hereinafter FIR), a non-profit organization, with the purpose of preserving his legacy and the cultural traditions that inspired him.  Their main goal has been to transform the house where Ismael grew up—which is now dilapidated and in great need of repair—into a Casa Museo Ismael Rivera (Museum House).  The FIR also envisions a library and indoor and outdoor spaces for the performing arts to serve its surrounding community—which is located in one of the poorest sectors of San Juan. 

In collaboration with the FIR, the History 292: Afro-Latin America course at the College of the Holy Cross, has developed a virtual museum “Casa Museo Ismael Rivera” to inspire and convince others—i.e., fans everywhere and government agencies—of the multiple benefits of the Casa Museo Ismael Rivera in Santurce. This class has investigated various historical elements of Ismael Rivera’s life and the FIR’s goals, mission, and current activities in the larger context of Afro-Latin American History. The FIR has provided pictures and other audiovisual material. Each student has written an essay on a different aspect of Afro-Latin American popular culture and history. This research thus informs the historic vision of the museum and its content, and will present the Casa Museo Ismael Rivera as an example of Afro-Latin American popular culture.