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.
Mohamed Siad Barre (Maxamed Siad Barre) was a military general in Somalia and the country’s third president. He came into power in October of 1969, leading a coup d’état against the elected government. Barre ruled over Somalia until 1991 when he was overthrown by militias, … Read MoreMohamed Siad Barre (1910-1995)
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is the President of Uganda, a post he has held since 1986. Museveni was born on September 15, 1944 to Mzee Amos Kaguta and Esteri Kokundeka Nganzi in Rukungirl, British Protectorate of Uganda (now Uganda). At an early age, Museveni moved to … Read MoreYoweri Kaguta Museveni (1944- )
Calestous Juma was a Kenyan scientist and university scholar who primarily focused on sustainable development. He served as a Professor of the Practice of International Development and Director of the Science, Technology, and Globalization Project at the Harvard Kennedy School. Juma also served as the … Read MoreCalestous Juma (1953-2017)
Dr. Ashitey Trebi-Ollennu is a robotics engineer at NASA, where he has served as the chief engineer and technical group leader for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which he joined in 1999. In addition to being a vital part of the JPL, Dr. Trebi-Ollennu was … Read MoreAshitey Trebi-Ollennu (?- )
Maria Firmina dos Reis was the founding mother of Afro-Brazilian literature. Úrsula (1859) was the first abolitionist novel written by a woman and it included the perspective of the enslaved. She was born on October 11, 1825 (or March 11, 1822 depending on source) in … Read MoreMaria Firmina dos Reis (1825-1917)
María Elena Moyano Delgado was an Afro-Peruvian community organizer and mother whose assassination by the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) sparked a public outcry bringing attention to her work and the plight of economically marginalized women. Born on November 23, 1958 in Barranco District, Lima to … Read MoreMaría Elena Moyano Delgado (1958-1992)
Lydia Fedorovna Arkhipova was a prolific painter who achieved fame in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and abroad. She also developed her original style which challenged the major trends in Soviet-era art. Arkhipova’s father was Frederick Bruce Thomas, widely known before the Russian Revolution … Read MoreLydia Fedorovna Arkhipova (1914-1997)
María Teresa Vera was an Afro-Cuban guitarist, singer, and composer, who is held up as an example of the Cuban “trova” movement. Trova is a rural folk style of music and Vera’s career was extraordinary for a woman of her time. “Viente Anos,” (Twenty Years) … Read MoreMaría Teresa Vera (1895-1965)
Dominga de la Cruz-Becerril, socialist, lecturer, poet, and declamadora, was born April 22, 1909 in Bueno Aires, Ponce, Puerto Rico (PR) to Catalina Becerril of Fajardo and Domingo Clarillo Cruz of Ponce. Reared in Mayagüez, both parents and godparents died while she was a pre-teen. … Read MoreDominga Cruz-Becerril (1909-1981)
Clive Mensah died at the hands of police in his own back yard in Mississauga, Ontario, a city west of Toronto, on Nov. 20, 2019. In March 2021, the Ontario police watchdog unit ruled there would be no criminal charges against the officers involved in … Read MoreClive Mensah (1989-2019)
