Courtney Faal, Author at

Independent Historian

Courtney Faal is currently working on her BA at the University of Washington, Seattle. She hopes to complete her degree in International Studies with a focus on African Studies. After graduation Courtney hopes to work in West Africa.

Mouride Sufi Brotherhood

The Mouride Sufi Brotherhood is a sect of Islam that boasts over four million followers today, mostly concentrated in Senegal and Gambia. The Mouride Sufi Order was founded by Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba in 1883 in the Senegambia region of West Africa. At this period there … Read MoreMouride Sufi Brotherhood

Robert Gabriel Mugabe (1924-2019)

Robert Mugabe led Zimbabwe from its independence in 1980 until he was forced to step down in 2017. He remained in power through his tight control of the government bureaucracy and the armed forces. Robert Mugabe was born on February 21, 1924, at Katuma Jesuit … Read MoreRobert Gabriel Mugabe (1924-2019)

Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (1912-1966)

Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was the first Prime Minister of Nigeria before and after Nigerian independence from Great Britain in 1960. Born in December of 1912 in Bauchi in Northern Nigeria, Balewa’s father, Mallam Yakubu, was a minor official in the Native Authority, part of … Read MoreSir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (1912-1966)

Benjamin Nnamdi “Zik” Azikiwe (1904-1996)

Nnamdi Azikiwe was the first President of Nigeria and was instrumental in founding a string of newspapers across Nigeria. Azikiwe was born on November 16, 1904 in Zungeru which was then the capital of Northern Nigeria. His father, Chukwumeka Azikiwe, was a civil servant in … Read MoreBenjamin Nnamdi “Zik” Azikiwe (1904-1996)

Omar Ibn Said (1770-1864)

Omar Ibn Said, also known as “Uncle Moreau” was unusual among enslaved people in the antebellum United States in that before he was captured he was highly educated and could read and write fluently at a time when most African slaves were illiterate. Said’s autobiography … Read MoreOmar Ibn Said (1770-1864)

Wangari Muta Maathai (1940-2011)

Wangari Maathai, the most prominent environmental activist in Africa, was the 2004 recipient of the Alfred Nobel Peace Prize. Wangari Muta was born on April 1, 1940, in Ihithe, Nyeri Province, Kenya during British colonial rule. Her family was of Kikuyu origin, and her father … Read MoreWangari Muta Maathai (1940-2011)

Chinua Achebe (1930-2013)

Chinua Achebe of Nigeria was one of the most famous 20th Century African writers. He published his first novel Things Fall Apart in 1958 and has since published four more novels and a series of short stories, essays, and other literature. Much of Achebe’s work … Read MoreChinua Achebe (1930-2013)

Mahommah Gardo Baquaqua (ca. 1824-ca. 1857)

Mahommah Gardo Baquaqua’s biography is the only known biography of a former slave from Brazil. Baquaqua was born around 1824 near Djougou in modern day Benin to a Muslim merchant family. Baquaqua was captured from Djougou in 1845 while acting as a messenger for a … Read MoreMahommah Gardo Baquaqua (ca. 1824-ca. 1857)

Idi Amin (1925-2003)

Idi Amin was the Ugandan military dictator and President from 1971 to 1979. During his reign Amin’s military forces are estimated to have killed 500,000 people and exiled roughly 70,000 non-Ugandan nationals (mostly Indians) from Uganda. Idi Amin Dada was born in 1925 in the … Read MoreIdi Amin (1925-2003)

The Partition of Africa

The Partition of Africa began in earnest with the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885, and was the cause of most of Africa’s borders today. This conference was called by German Chancellor Bismarck to settle how European countries would claim colonial land in Africa and to avoid … Read MoreThe Partition of Africa