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.
Strive Masiyiwa is a Zimbabwean businessman and philanthropist. He is best known for being the founder and chairman of Econet Wireless International and Zimbabwe’s first billionaire. Masiyiwa was born on January 29th, 1961 in Zimbabwe. His father was a miner who later became a businessman, … Read MoreStrive Masiyiwa (1961- )
Ibrahim Omer is an Eritrean-born New Zealander politician. He is best known for becoming the first African and second former refugee to become a member of the National Parliament of New Zealand. Omer was born and raised in Eritrea where he spent much of his … Read MoreIbrahim Omer (1978- )
Florinda Soriano Muñoz, also known as Mamá Tingó, was an Afro-Latina female activist for farmers’ rights within the Dominican Republic whose actions helped reclaim farmland for more than three hundred families within the Hato Viejo region. Soriano received the nickname “Mamá Tingó” by her friends, … Read MoreFlorinda Soriano Muñoz (Mamá Tingó) (1921-1974)
Devante Smith-Pelly, one of only 30 Black players in the National Hockey League (NHL), was born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada on June 14, 1992. His parents, Wayne Pelly, who oversees a limousine company, and Jacqueline Smith, who works in corporate communications, raised Smith-Pelly and his … Read MoreDevante Malik Smith-Pelly (1992- )
Born on February 9, 1926, Bromley Lloyd Armstrong was a Canadian civil rights activist, community organizer, trade unionist, and Jamaican immigrant. He was heavily involved in Canada’s blossoming civil rights era, beginning with his arrival in 1947. Born in Kingston, Jamaica to working-class parents, Eric … Read MoreBromley Lloyd Armstrong (1926-2018)
Clara Ledesma was one of the leading Dominican artists during the post-World War II era. Born in Santiago De Los Caballeros, DR, on March 5th, 1924, to Bienvenido Ledesma Piera and Beatriz Christian, Ledesma began her artistic journey in the 1930s, under the tutelage of … Read MoreClara Ledesma (1924-1999)
Diallo Telli Boubacar was the first General Secretary of the Organization of the African Unity (OAU), the pan-African body created in 1963 in the aftermath of independence of many African nations and replaced on July 9, 2002 by the African Union (AU). Telli was born … Read MoreDiallo Telli (1925-1977)
Victoria Eugenia Santa Cruz Gammara is widely considered the mother of Afro-Peruvian dance. Victoria Santa Cruz was born in Lima, Peru, on October 27, 1922, to a large Peruvian family of 10 children. Her father was Nicomedes Santa Cruz Aparicio, and her mother, Victoria Gamma … Read MoreVictoria Eugenia Santa Cruz Gamarra (1922-2014)
Salome Bey was an American-born, Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and actress who, after emigrating to Toronto, became known as “Canada’s first lady of the blues.” Salome Wideman was born in Newark, New Jersey, on October 10, 1933, to Andrew and Victoria Wideman. Her father was a … Read MoreSalome Bey (1933-2020)
Dr. Denis Mukwege is a Nobel Prize-winning gynecologist, human rights activist, and Pentecostal pastor from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He specializes in the treatment of women who have experienced sexual violence during armed conflicts. The recipient of numerous international honors and awards, … Read MoreDenis Mukwege (1955- )
