The East African presence in the royal courts of India can be traced back to the 13th century. By the 16th century several Abyssinians (or Habshis as they were known there), the descendants of Ethiopian slaves, had become military generals and government ministers in Delhi … Read MoreIkhlas Khan (a.k.a. Malik Raihan Habshi, ?-1656)
Gustavia is the capital and main seaport of the island of Saint Barthélemy, also known as “St. Bart’s.” The Caribbean island is said to have been discovered by explorer Christopher Columbus in 1493, who named it after his brother Bartolomeo. The Taino Indians were the … Read MoreGustavia, Saint Barthélemy (1648- )
The Golden Stool (full title, Sika Dwa Kofi) has been the symbol of power in Ashanti Kingdom since the 17th century. According to oral tradition, Okomfo Anokye, a High Priest and one of the two founders of the Ashanti Confederacy, conjured the Golden Stool, decorated with … Read MoreThe Golden Stool (17th c.- )
Elizabeth Key Grinstead was one of the first women of African American ancestry in the North American colonies to sue for her freedom and win. Key won freedom for herself and her infant son, John Grinstead II, in the colony of Virginia on July 21, … Read MoreElizabeth Key Grinstead (1630–1665)
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?)
Depending on the source consulted, Spanish Baroque painter Juan de Pareja was born in the region of Andalusia, Spain, either in Seville or the much smaller city of Antequera 82 miles southeast, reputedly to a female of African descent and a native Spanish male whose … Read MoreJuan de Pareja (ca. 1606-1670)
Paramaribo is the largest city, chief port, and capital of Suriname, a country located on the north coast of South America and the continent’s smallest nation. The city had a population of 250,000 people in 2014 who comprised about half the population of the entire … Read MoreParamaribo, Suriname (1630- )
St. John’s (population 22,342) is the capital of the Eastern Caribbean twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua, the largest of the English-speaking Leeward Islands, covers 108 square miles. Barbuda, a flat coral island with an area of only 68 square miles, lies approximately 30 … Read MoreSt. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda (1632- )
Castries, capital of St. Lucia, is also the largest city on the island. The latest estimates show its population as about 20,000. St. Lucia with a total population of 163,362 (July 2014 est.) is part of the Windward Islands chain which forms the boundary between … Read MoreCastries, St. Lucia (1650- )
