The Obas of Benin: A Brief History of the Rulers of A West African State for Eight Centuries

In the following article, Collins Edigin, a historian at the University of Benin in Benin City, Nigeria, describes the rule of the Obas of Benin, a continuous dynasty of the West African state of Benin (now in present-day Nigeria) that began in the 13th Century … Read MoreThe Obas of Benin: A Brief History of the Rulers of A West African State for Eight Centuries

North from Mexico: The First Black Settlers in the U.S. West

The first Black settlers in what is now the western United States were Spanish speakers who came north from what is now central Mexico. Their roots there began in 1519, when Black men were among the Spanish conquistadores who invaded and destroyed the Aztec Empire, … Read MoreNorth from Mexico: The First Black Settlers in the U.S. West

The 1619 Project (August 14, 2019-)

The 1619 project was a collection of essays, poems, and photos surrounding the origins of slavery and subsequent inequalities in the United States, published on August 14, 2019 in the New York Times Magazine, commemorating the 400th anniversary of first arrival of enslaved Africans to … Read MoreThe 1619 Project (August 14, 2019-)

First Africans in the Jamestown Colony (1619)

In 1619, 12 years after the first permanent English colony was established at Jamestown, Virginia, a small cargo of enslaved Africans arrived at the colony at Comfort Point near present-day Hampton, Virginia. Until recently, historians had misconstrued the circumstances of how this human cargo came … Read MoreFirst Africans in the Jamestown Colony (1619)

The Evolution of Slavery in Virginia, 1619 to 1661

As you will see below, historians agree that the first twenty Africans landed in Virginia in 1619. What is in dispute is their exact status. Were they enslaved people from the beginning of their arrival or did they have some other status? Historian Malik Simba … Read MoreThe Evolution of Slavery in Virginia, 1619 to 1661

Gloucester County Conspiracy (1663)

The Gloucester County Conspiracy also known as the Servant’s Plot or Birkenhead’s Rebellion, took place in Virginia in 1663. The plan involved a rebellion of African, English, Irish, and Indian indentured servants and slaves plotting against authorities in Gloucester County, Virginia. On September 1, 1663, … Read MoreGloucester County Conspiracy (1663)

Ikhlas Khan (a.k.a. Malik Raihan Habshi, ?-1656)

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)