José Manuel Jiménez Berroa (1855–1917)

“Image Ownership: Public Domain” Concert pianist, composer, and music conservatory director José Manuel Jiménez Berroa was born on December 7, 1855, into a musical family in Trinidad, Cuba, a city on the central coast known for its mainly African-descended population, sugar mills, and tobacco production. … Read MoreJosé Manuel Jiménez Berroa (1855–1917)

François Fournier de Pescay (1771–1833)

“Image Ownership: Public Domain” Francois Fournier de Pescay was the first known African-descended physician to practice medicine and surgery in Europe. Fournier de Pescay, the son of French planter François Pescay and Adélaïde Rappau, a free mulatto (mulâtresse libre), was born on September 7, 1771 … Read MoreFrançois Fournier de Pescay (1771–1833)

Thabo Sefolosha (1984– )

Thabo Sefolosha, the first Swiss-born National Basketball Association (NBA) player, was born May 2, 1984, in Vevey, Switzerland, to Patrick Sefolosha, a South African musician, and Christine Sefolosha, a Swiss painter. Sefolosha is a member of the Swiss National basketball team and currently plays for … Read MoreThabo Sefolosha (1984– )

Sebastián Gómez (1646?–1690?)

Murillo Discovering Sebastián Gómez Painting in Murillo’s Studio “Image Ownership: Public Domain”   Spanish Baroque painter Sebastián Gómez was born around 1646 in Seville, Spain, a product of that city’s sizeable African-descended community. Ordinary benchmarks pertaining to most of his life—ancestry, circumstances of birth, parentage, … Read MoreSebastián Gómez (1646?–1690?)

August A. Sabac el Cher (1836?–1885)

“Image Ownership: Public Domain” According to stories handed down to his descendants, a seven year old boy from Kurdufan in what is now central Sudan, orphaned because his father was killed in a revolt against an Egyptian occupation force and his mother subsequently committed suicide, … Read MoreAugust A. Sabac el Cher (1836?–1885)