José Martí was a Cuban writer, poet, journalist, diplomat and freedom fighter loved (by both the left and the right) in Cuba and the diaspora. He was a key political figure in the Cuban independence movement against Spain. His political activism took him all over the world including Spain, México, Venezuela and New York where he spent 15 years. It was in New York where he designed a plan to free Cuba from Spain. During his time in New York, he also worked to improve commercial relationships in the continent to strengthen bonds among Latin American nations and to protect the rights of their citizens.

Click play to hear more about the remarkable life and legacy of José Martí, the Cuban hero immortalized in Central Park.