GLOBAL AFRICAN HISTORY
GLOBAL AFRICAN HISTORY
The following are short descriptions of individuals, places and events which have contributed to the shaping of Global African 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.
Barack Obama’s Second Swearing In Ceremony 2013
Photo by Sonya Hebert
Mongo Santamaria (1917-2003)
Born in Cuba on April 7, 1917, Mongo Santamaria is an Afro-Cuban percussionist who became an influential musician in the...
Sebastián RodrÃguez Brito (ca. 1642-ca. 1717)
Native of West Africa, Sebastian Rodríguez Brito was one of a number of black freemen to join the ranks of...
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...
Chinua Achebe (1930-2013)
Chinua Achebe of Nigeria was one of the most famous 20th Century African writers. He published his first novel Things...
Charles M. Taylor (1948- )
Charles McArthur Taylor, born on January 28, 1948, in Arthington, Liberia, served as the president of Liberia from August 2,...
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...
Gaspar Yanga (c. 1545- ?)
Known as the Primer Libertador de America or “first liberator of the Americas,” Gaspar Yanga led one of colonial Mexico’s...
Joseph Ephraim Casely Hayford (1866-1930)
Joseph Ephraim Casely Hayford was a West African barrister, author, and political leader who dedicated his life to helping improve...
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...
