Probably one of the first writers to utilize his poetic voice to proclaim African ancestry in the Dominican Republic, Blas Jiménez was a poet, intellectual, and activist. He belongs to what has been defined as the second wave of Afro-Hispanic writers among whom are Nancy Morejon of Cuba, Quince Duncan of Costa Rica and Carlos Guillermo Wilson of Panama. He maintained a weekly column in one of the country's most circulated newpapers, Hoy. Additionally, he was an avid lecturer throughout Latin America, Europe, and the United States. He died in 2009.