The following are short descriptions of individuals, places and events which have contributed to the shaping of African American history. These encyclopedia entries serve as a starting point for much more inclusive descriptions and discussions that appear in other sources. For additional information please consult the print or website sources cited in the entry.
Politician, philanthropist, and investor Benoni Wilfred Urey is one of the wealthiest Liberians and the founder of Lonestar Cell Mobile telecommunication corporation (MTN), Liberia’s largest nationwide mobile network. Urey was born on June 22, 1957, in Careysburg Montserrado County, the Republic of Liberia to Daniel … Read MoreBenoni Wilfred Urey (1957- )
Her Honor Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Gyapay Yuoh, Liberia’s first female Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, was appointed in 2013. Sie-A-Nyene Gyapay Yuoh was born on June 26, 1956, in Montserrado County, Liberia, to Anthony Kle Yuoh and Maromini Worbor Kollie. She has 21 siblings: … Read MoreSie-A-Nyene Gyapay Yuoh (1956- )
In the following article, Collins Edigin, a historian at the University of Benin, describes the rule of the Obas of Benin, a continuous dynasty that began in the 13th Century and is one of the oldest in the world. The kingdom of Benin was one … Read MoreThe Obas of Benin: A Brief History of the Rulers of A West African State for Nine Centuries
Aoua Kéita was a Malian independence activist, politician, feminist, writer, and midwife. Born on July 12, 1912, in then Bamako, French Sudan to Karamogo Kéita, a member of the colonial hygiene service and Miriam Coulibaly, Aoua was one of the few African girls allowed to … Read MoreAoua Kéita (1912-1980)
Offiong Ekanem Ejindu is a Nigerian architect, philanthropist, and businesswoman born in Ibadan, Nigeria in June 1962 to Professor Sylvester Joseph Una and Obonganwan Ekpa Una. Princess Fifi, reputedly a billionaire, is an influential philanthropist, “ranked as one of the African female pioneers in the … Read MorePrincess Fifi Ejindu (1962- )
Writer Gary Younge was born in January 1969 in Hertfordshire, England, to Barbadian parents. He grew up in the town of Stevenage, which had a very small Black population at the time. Gary and his two elder brothers, Pat and Wayne, were brought up by … Read MoreGary Younge (1969- )
Amar’e Stoudemire is an American-Israeli professional basketball player and coach, actor, and entrepreneur born in Lake Wales, Florida on November 16, 1982. After a successful career in the National Basketball Association, he moved to Israel to explore his Jewish identity. Stoudemire was born to Hazell … Read MoreAmar’e Carsares Jehoshaphat Stoudemire (1982- )
Master guitarist, paralanguage hummer, and singer Joseph T. Spence was born on August 3, 1910, in Small Hope, Andros Island, Bahamas. Spence had one sister, Edith Pinder, who sang with him, and four half-brothers. However, there was no available information regarding the names of his … Read MoreJoseph T. Spence (1910-1984)
Madam Yoko, born Soma in the Gbo Chiefdom, was the head of the Mende people of Sierra Leone. She ruled the extensive Kpa Mende Confederacy for decades before her death. Also known as Mammy Yoko, she and three brothers were raised by their warrior father … Read MoreMadam Yoko (c. 1849-1906)
In the following article, University of Louisville historian John McLeod surveys illustrative episodes in the long history of the Siddis, or African-Indians (Indians of African Ancestry), dating back to the thirteenth century. There have been people of African descent in the Indian subcontinent for centuries. … Read MoreWho are the Siddis? A Brief Introduction to the 800-Year African Experience in India
