Global African HistoryGlobal African History

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.

Credit: Photo by Benny Jackson on Unsplash

The Quest for Land and Freedom on Canada’s Western Prairies: Black Oklahomans in Alberta and Saskatchewan, 1905-1912

In the following article Canadian independent historian Gael Greene examines the arrival of black emigrants from Oklahoma in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.  These pioneer settlers carved out communities on one of the last frontiers in North America. Many Canadians feel pride about … Read MoreThe Quest for Land and Freedom on Canada’s Western Prairies: Black Oklahomans in Alberta and Saskatchewan, 1905-1912

(1967) The Arusha Declaration

On February 5, 1967 Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere announced the Arusha Declaration outlining the principles of Ujamaa which he called African Socialism.  The principles were to guide the economy of the newly independent nation rooted in the concept of self-reliance.  The Declaration appears below. On … Read More(1967) The Arusha Declaration

Sistema de Castas (1500s-ca. 1829)

Sistema de Castas (or Society of Castes) was a porous racial classification system in colonial New Spain (present-day Mexico). It was a “hierarchal ordering of racial groups according to their proportion of Spanish blood.” In this system, notable categories with significant meaning were español (Spaniard), … Read MoreSistema de Castas (1500s-ca. 1829)

Martín Morúa Delgado (1856-1910)

Born in 1856, Martín Morúa Delgado gained prominence as an Afro-Cuban writer and Cuba’s first black Senate president after the country’s war for independence against Spanish rule in the 1890s.  Son of an African-slave mother, Ines Delgado, and Spanish father, Francisco Morúa, Martín Morúa Delgado … Read MoreMartín Morúa Delgado (1856-1910)

Little Liberia, Baja California, 1919

Initiated in the early 20th century by Los Angeles attorney Hugh Macbeth and the Lower California Mexican Land and Development Company, the Baja California settlement known as “Little Liberia” was envisioned as a racially-exclusive community through which African Americans would have the opportunity for vocational, … Read MoreLittle Liberia, Baja California, 1919

(1994) Nelson Mandela’s Inaugural Address as President of South Africa

On May 9, 1994, Nelson Mandela was officially inaugurated as the first democratically elected President of South Africa chosen by the majority of the nation’s citizens.  His inauguration address given at Cape Town, South Africa, appears below. Mr. Master of Ceremonies, Your Excellencies, Members of … Read More(1994) Nelson Mandela’s Inaugural Address as President of South Africa

(1993) Nelson Mandela, “Address to the Nation”

After Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990, he and representatives of the African National Congress (ANC) began a public period of negotiations in preparation for majority rule in that nation.  The negotiations were set back however when ANC leader Chris Hani was assassinated.   … Read More(1993) Nelson Mandela, “Address to the Nation”

(1990) Nelson Mandela, “We Have Waited Too Long For Our Freedom”

In 1990 the South African government released Nelson Mandela from Victor Verster Prison in Paarl, South Africa after more than 28 years of incarceration including more than 20 years in South Africa’s most notorious prison, Robben Island.  Here is the speech he gave in Cape … Read More(1990) Nelson Mandela, “We Have Waited Too Long For Our Freedom”

(1964) Nelson Mandela, “I Am Prepared To Die”

In 1962, Nelson Mandela, leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation) the armed wing of the African National Congress, was convicted by a South African court of traveling outside the country without a passport and inciting workers to strike.  He was sentenced to … Read More(1964) Nelson Mandela, “I Am Prepared To Die”

(1963) Es’kia (Ezekiel) Mphahlele, “On Negritude in Literature”

Es’kia Mphahlele was a South African writer, professor, and political activist who was critical of the nation’s apartheid regime.  He subsequently spent twenty years in exile from South Africa between 1957 and 1977.  In the speech below, given in Johannesburg, South Africa in June, 1963, … Read More(1963) Es’kia (Ezekiel) Mphahlele, “On Negritude in Literature”