The following are short descriptions of the women and men who 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.
Arabella Fields was a singer and actress known as “The Black Nightingale” and had a storied career performing in Europe. She was born on January 31, 1879, as Sarah Arabella Middleton in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Early reports state she was performing at the young age of … Read MoreArabella Fields (1879-1933)
Environmental and social justice activist Freweyni Asress of Gondar, Ethiopia runs the Instagram account @ZeroWasteHabesha, with which she documents her progress toward a zero-waste lifestyle, alongside encouraging and facilitating conversations on topics such as Black ecology, race, and colonization. Defined by academics J.T. Roane and … Read MoreFreweyni Asress (?- )
Freweini Mebrahtu (Ge’ez: ፍሬወይኒ መብራህቱ) is an Ethiopian Chemical Engineer and the creator of reusable menstrual sanitary pads for women and girls in Ethiopia. Mebrahtu was born in the Tigray region of Ethiopia in 1965 and is the youngest daughter of seven children. Her parents … Read MoreFreweini Mebrahtu (1965- )
This entry is for juvenile audiences. To see the full version of this entry, click here. Who are they: Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid advocate. He became the countries first Black president and first president of post-apartheid South Africa where he served from … Read MoreNelson Rolihlahla Mandela (1918-2013)
Pop singer, disco lyricist Carlton George “Carl,” Douglas was born on October 10, 1942, in Kingston, Jamaica. After the death of his grandmother, his family migrated to Tottenham in North London, England, when he was seven. There his youth was filled with playing soccer and … Read MoreCarl Douglas (1942 – )
Human rights activist Sonia Pierre was born in Villa Altagracia, San Cristobal, Dominican Republic on July 4, 1963, and she died at forty-eight years old of a heart attack on December 4, 2011. Sonia was one of the most internationally-recognized activists working on behalf of … Read MoreSonia Pierre (1963-2011)
Aida Cartagena was a prominent Afro-Latina poet, novelist, scholar, and public intellectual. She was born in Moca, Dominican Republic on June 18, 1918, and died at the age of seventy-five on June 3, 1994. Aida was the daughter of Olimpia Portalatin and Felipe Cartagena Estrella. … Read MoreAida Cartagena Portalatin (1918-1994)
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a Nigerian economist who, on March 3rd, 2021, was sworn in as the first woman and first African director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO). She was also the longest serving finance minister in the government of Nigeria and has headed initiatives … Read MoreNgozi Okonjo-Iweala (1954- )
Dr. Claire Karekezi is the first and sole female neurosurgeon in all of Rwanda and has served as a consultant neurosurgeon at the Rwandan Military Hospital in the country’s capital, Kigali, since 2018. As a child, Dr. Karekezi’s fondness for the sciences blossomed into the … Read MoreClaire Karekezi (1984- )
Vanessa Nakate is a Ugandan climate activist who led Uganda’s First Fridays for Future climate strikes and founded Youth for Future Africa and Rise Up Climate Movement to address climate concerns in the African continent and world at large. Nakate was born on November 15, … Read MoreVanessa Nakate (1996- )
