Image Ownership: Public domain Mohammed Ali “Nicholas” Said, an enslaved African from Bornu in what is now northeastern Nigeria, traveled through Europe to the United States. He was born in Kouka, Bornu, the thirteenth of nineteen children to Barca Gana and his wife, Dalia, in … Read MoreMohammed Ali “Nicholas” Said (1836-1882)
“Image Ownership:Public Domain” Orlando Ashford is the president of Holland America Line. He assumed this position in December 2014. Holland America Line was founded in 1873, and until 1989, it was a Dutch-owned passenger and cargo shipping line operating primarily between the Netherlands and North America. In 1989 … Read MoreOrlando Ashford (1968– )
“Image Ownership: Public Domain” Believed to be the first military aircraft pilot of African descent, Ahmet Ali Çelikten (birth name ?zmirli Alio?lu Ahmed, a/k/a Arap Ahmet Ali) was born in the coastal city of Izmir (formerly Smyrna), Turkey. Some sources claim he was the grandson … Read MoreAhmet Ali Çelikten (1883-1969)
“Image Ownership:Public Domain” Roger D. Pierce, U.S. Ambassador to Cape Verde, was born in Omaha, Nebraska. Pierce earned his B.A. degree in Spanish Language and Latin American Studies at Davis and Elkins College in Elkins, West Virginia. He received his M.A. in Latin American Literature … Read MoreRoger Dwayne Pierce (1951–)
"Image Ownershp: Public Domain" George McDade Staples was appointed by President Bill Clinton to be ambassador to the Republic of Rwanda, where he served from 1998 to 2001. He was later appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as ambassador to Cameroon, and Equatorial … Read MoreGeorge McDade Staples (1947– )
“Image Ownership: Public Domain” People’s Baptist Church in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, thrived for the first half of the 20th century as the state’s first and only black congregation. It served a New England coastal community where African Americans represented 4% of the population. People’s Baptist … Read MorePeople’s Baptist Church, Portsmouth, New Hampshire (1873- )
“Image Ownership: Public Domain” Tripoli has been the capital of Libya since its independence in 1951. Tripoli is the largest city in the country and in 2002 it had an estimated population of 1,223,300 people. The city is also the chief seaport, commercial, transport, communication, … Read MoreTripoli, Libya (7th Century BCE- )
Image Ownership: Public Domain Mary Jane Grant Seacole was an early nurse in the British Empire during the 19th Century. Born in Kingston, Jamaica as Mary Grant, she was the daughter of a Scottish officer and a black mother. Mary’s mother ran a hospital/boarding house … Read MoreMary Jane Seacole (1805 –1881)
Image Ownership: Public Domain Professional basketball superstar Kobe Bryant has played for the Los Angeles (California) Lakers since 1996 when he came to the team as an 18-year-old, the youngest player in National Basketball Association (NBA) history. Bryant is a long-time philanthropist, using his well-known … Read MoreKobe Bryant (1978- )
The Mouride Sufi Brotherhood is a sect of Islam that boasts over four million followers today, mostly concentrated in Senegal and The Gambia. The Mouride Sufi Order was founded by Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba in 1883 in the Senegambia region of West Africa. At this period … Read MoreMouride Sufi Brotherhood