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.
On July 24, 2016, 37-year-old Somali-Canadian Abdirahman Abdi was beaten outside of his home in Ottawa, Canada by constables Dave Weir and Daniel Montsion. His subsequent death sparked multiple Black Lives Matter protests in the Canadian capital and the formation of the Justice for Abdirahman … Read MoreAbdirahman Abdi (1979-2016)
Zindziswa “Zindzi” Mandela was born on December 23, 1960 in Soweto Township near the South African city of Johannesburg to former South African President Nelson and freedom fighter Winnie Mandela. On July 13, 2020, Zindzi Mandela died at a hospital in Johannesburg at the age … Read MoreZindziswa Mandela-Hlongwane (1960-2020)
Sabrina Dhowre is a Somalian-American professional model and social media personality. She was born on July 16, 1989 in New York, and grew up in Montreal, Canada. Her mother Maryam Egal was born in Somalia but now resides in British Columbia. After graduating from high … Read MoreSabrina Dhowre Elba (1988- )
Nissim Baruch Black, also known as D. Black, is an African American Jewish rapper who now lives in Israel. Nissim, whose real name is Damian Jamohl Black, was born on December 9, 1986 to James “Captain” Church Croone and Mia Black in Seattle, Washington. Nissim’s … Read MoreNissim Black (1986- )
Chief Festus Samuel Okotie-Eboh, one of the Founding Fathers of the Republic of Nigeria, was born on July 18, 1912 in the city of Warri to an Itsekiri Prince, Okotie Eboh of Jakpa. His mother, Ekayoda Ojegba was from another ethnic group, Urhobo in Okpe … Read MoreFestus Samuel Okotie-Eboh (1912-1966)
Manu Dibango was a saxophonist from Cameroon whose 60 years of experience in the music industry inspired some of the world’s most famous artists. Dibango was also one of the first high-profile people to die after catching COVID-19, the coronavirus. Dibango was born in the … Read MoreEmmanuel “Manu” N’Djoké Dibango (1933-2020)
Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo was a Zimbabwean anti-colonialist revolutionary and politician who was vice-president of Zimbabwe from 1990 to his death in 1999. Nkomo was born on June 19, 1917 in what was then Matabeleland, Rhodesia into a family where he had eight siblings. After … Read MoreJoshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo (1917-1999)
Dedan Kimathi was a rebel field marshal fighting the British colonial authorities in Kenya during the Mau Mau rebellion of the 1950s. The violent rebellion remains a controversial part of Kenyan and British history. The rebellion instigated the creation of a system of detention camps … Read MoreDedan Kimathi (1920-1957)
Marie-Joseph dite Angelique was born around the year 1700 in the colony of Madeira, Portugal. It is unclear if she was born a slave or sold into slavery but she was first sold to Nichus Block (Nicholas Bleeker) who took her to North America sometime … Read MoreMarie-Joseph dite Angelique (1700-1734)
