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.
José Carlos Lamartine Salvador dos Santos Costa is an Angolan musician, diplomat, and statesman who played an essential role in shaping contemporary music in Angola. Lamartine was born in the city of Benguela in 1943. At age ten, Carlos moved with his father and two … Read MoreCarlos Lamartine (1943- )
Januário Garcia Jr. hailed from Minas Gerais, a Brazilian state renowned for its significant population of Afrodescendentes, or Black Brazilians. Born on November 16, 1943, into a modest family residing on the outskirts of Belo Horizonte, the state capital, Garcia embarked on a journey to … Read MoreJanuário Garcia Jr (1943-2021)
Mildred Coleman Crump became the first African American councilwoman in the 336-year history of the Newark City Council in New Jersey when she assumed office in 1994. She is also the first woman to serve as council president for Newark, New Jersey, which she did … Read MoreMildred Coleman Crump (1939-)
Diambi Kabatusuila is the traditional Queen of the Bakwa Luntu people of the Kingdom of Luba, located in the southern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. She also holds the title of Mukalenga Mukaji wa Nkashama wa Bakwa Luntu wa Baluba wa Congo, which … Read MoreQueen Diambi (1970s – )
Francisco Paulo de Almeida, first and only Baron of Guaraciaba, was a Brazilian landowner and banker. He distinguished himself by being one of the most financially successful black men in the Empire of Brazil. He owned several plantations and about two hundred slaves on just … Read MoreFrancisco Paulo de Almeida (1826-1901)
La Mulatresse Solitude (the Mulatto Solitude) is a national hero on the French Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe. Although very little is known about her life, she is remembered as a brave fighter against the reimposition of slavery on her homeland. It is believed that Solitude’s … Read MoreLa Mulatresse Solitude (ca 1772-1802)
Samuel Matekane became Prime Minister of Lesotho on October 28, 2022. Ntsokoane Samuel Matekane was born on March 15, 1968 in the remote town of Mantsonyane, Lesotho. His parents were Hoohol and Mantuba Matekane and he was the 7th of 14 children. Matekane attended Bocheletsane … Read MoreSamuel Matekane (1968-)
Andree Madeleine Blouin, one of an emerging group of African activists and political leaders in the 1960s, was born in Bessou in the French Colony of Ubangi-Shari (today’s Central African Republic) on December 16, 1921. Her mother, Josephine Wouassemba, was a 14 year old Banzi … Read MoreAndree Blouin (1921-1986)
Emma Harris was a multi-talented African American cultural influencer in Europe, the Russian Empire (later the Soviet Union) as well as the Middle East. Harris was born into a poor family in Georgia on October 7, 1871. Her parents were washerwoman Sarah Green and millworker … Read MoreEmma Harris (1871-1940)
