Wavel Ramkalawan is a Seychelles politician and Anglican priest who has served as President of Seychelles since October 26, 2020. Wavel Ramkalawan was born on March 15, 1961 on Mahé, the main island of the Seychelles. His father was a metal worker and his mother … Read MoreWavel Ramkalawan (1961- )
James Mancham was the first President of the independent nation of Seychelles. He was born on August 11, 1939, the son of Richard and Evelyn (nee Tirant) Mancham, a wealthy family, on the island of Mahe, the largest island in the Seychelles archipelago which was … Read MoreJames Richard Marie Mancham (1939-2017)
Yaa Asantewaa was an influential Ashanti queen at the beginning of the twentieth century who remains a powerful symbol today. Her birthdate is contested; she is generally believed to be born between the 1840s to 1860s in the Ashanti Confederacy in present-day Ghana. She was a skilled farmer before ascending … Read MoreYaa Asantewaa (mid-1800s-1921)
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.- )
Miles K. Davis is the first black educator to become president of Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. Davis was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1960. He was raised in a mixed religious background where his father was Muslim and his mother was Christian. Being born into a poor family, Davis was motivated … Read MoreMiles K. Davis (1960- )
Pioneering cartographer and meteorologist Jean-Baptist Lislet-Geoffroy was born August 23, 1755 in Saint-Pierre, Réunion, a French island colony in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar and southern Africa. He was the son of Jean-Baptiste Geoffroy, a white French engineer, and an African princess and ex-slave … Read MoreJean Baptiste Lislet-Geoffroy (a.k.a. Geoffroy L’Islet, 1755-1836)
In the article below, Carlton McLellan, PhD, a senior fellow at the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training (ADST), briefly describes the history of the more than one hundred and forty black women and men who have led diplomatic delegations as U.S. Ambassadors in ninety-five … Read MoreAmerica’s Black Ambassadors: A Historical Snapshot
Wilbert J. LeMelle, Sr., was a scholar, development specialist, and ambassador to Kenya and the Republic of Seychelles between 1977 and 1980. In both his academic and diplomatic work, LeMelle urged the United States to become more engaged in Africa, focusing on economic development and … Read MoreWilbert J. LeMelle Sr. (1931-2003)
Ambassador Mary Jo Wills has worked in international affairs for over three decades. Her service to the United States has taken her to Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Most recently, she held the position of U.S. Ambassador to the island nations of … Read MoreMary Jo Wills (1951- )
Irvin Hicks was a career Foreign Service Officer who rose from a communications clerk position to serve three times as a U.S. ambassador. Hicks served in the Department of State during the nascent years of African Independence from European colonial rule. Hicks was appointed Ambassador … Read MoreIrvin Hicks Sr. (1938- )
