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.
Joseph Ephraim Casely Hayford was a West African barrister, author, and political leader who dedicated his life to helping improve conditions for the people of West Africa. Casely Hayford was born on September 3, 1866, the youngest of three sons to parents Reverend John de … Read MoreJoseph Ephraim Casely Hayford (1866-1930)
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 “riots” or the war, led by women in the provinces of Calabar and Owerri in southeastern Nigeria in November and December of 1929, became known as the “Aba Women’s Riots of 1929” in British colonial history, or as the “Women’s War” in Igbo history. … Read MoreAba Women’s Riots (November-December 1929)
Children in Darfur Refugee Camp, 2007 International Rescue Committee Image Ownership: Public Domain While the country of Sudan has experienced a number of violent conflicts since its independence from Great Britain in 1956, the region of Darfur, which is located in western Sudan, caught the … Read MoreDarfur Genocide (2003- )
Gorée Island, located two miles from the Senegalese capital, Dakar, was a critical trading port for Europeans and played a major role as an entrepot for slaves taken from West Africa. Long before being conquered by the Europeans, the island was called Bezeriche Island or … Read MoreGorée Island, Senegal (ca. 1000- )
The Four Communes of Senegal in French West Africa, Gorée, Dakar, Rufisque, and Saint-Louis, were the only places during the African Colonial period, where African inhabitants were granted the same rights as French Citizens. As early as 1840, the importance of Gorée Island and Saint-Louis … Read MoreFour Communes of Senegal (1887-1960)
The Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) was officially established on April 5-6, 1959 with the goal of ending white domination in South Africa and returning the land to its original and rightful owners. The PAC came into being after a group of African National Congress (ANC) … Read MorePan Africanist Congress of Azania
The South African Students’ Organization (SASO) emerged in 1968 as a unique group that re-established opposition to the South African government’s apartheid system “aboveground,” as opposed to other black resistance movements that previously had been forced to operate underground. Until the creation of SASO in … Read MoreSouth African Students’ Organization (SASO)
Cheikh Anta Diop University or Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), located in Dakar, Senegal, is among the largest universities in French-speaking West Africa. The UCAD has a relatively long history as it has evolved from the Ecole de Médecine de Dakar, a Medical School that … Read MoreCheikh Anta Diop University (1957–)
Adelaide Smith Casely Hayford was a Victorian feminist who dedicated her life to the education of girls in Sierra Leone. Born on June 2, 1868, in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Casely Hayford was the second youngest of seven children of parents William Smith Jr. and Anne … Read MoreAdelaide Smith Casely Hayford (1868-1960)
