M’Balia Camara (1929-1955)

Guinean national political independence martyr, women’s rights activist, and national heroine of the Democratic Party of Guinea, M’Balia Camara, was born in 1929 in the village of Posséya, Guinea, near Gonga Khimbéli and Yenguissa. Despite humble beginnings, she refused to allow herself to be limited … Read MoreM’Balia Camara (1929-1955)

Joseph Antonio Emidy (a.k.a. Joseph Emedy and Joseph Emedee, 1775-1835)

Afro-British musician, composer, and orchestra leader Joseph Antonio Emidy is believed to have been born sometime in the year 1775 in Guinea, West Africa. Enslaved at age 12, Portuguese traders brought him to Brazil, where Jesuit priests, recognizing his natural talent and intelligence, taught him … Read MoreJoseph Antonio Emidy (a.k.a. Joseph Emedy and Joseph Emedee, 1775-1835)

Mamady Doumbouya (1980- )

On October 1, 2021, Mamady Doumbouya was sworn in as the interim president of Guinea. This was after the former president, Alpha Conde, was overthrown in a coup orchestrated by Doumbouya on September 5, 2021. Mamady Doumbouya was born in Kankan, Guinea on March 4, … Read MoreMamady Doumbouya (1980- )

North from Mexico: The First Black Settlers in the U.S. West

The first Black settlers in what is now the western United States were Spanish speakers who came north from what is now central Mexico. Their roots there began in 1519, when Black men were among the Spanish conquistadores who invaded and destroyed the Aztec Empire, … Read MoreNorth from Mexico: The First Black Settlers in the U.S. West