The Almoravids, or al-Murabitun as they called themselves, were an Islamic Berber dynasty that established an empire in Morocco and eventually took it over a wide region of Northwest Africa including modern Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, and part of Algeria. The emprire stretched as far south … Read MoreThe Almoravids/al-Murabitun (1040–1147)
Spanish Conquistadors in Chile “Image Ownership: Public Domain” Juan Beltrán was the illegitimate mulatto son of Juan Beltrán de Magaña and a well-known black conquistadore of Villarica, Chile. Because of the chaos of the region, the fact that his mother was indigenous (likely an Araucanian … Read MoreJuan Beltrán (? — ?)
“Image Ownership: Public Domain” Juan García was one of the best known black auxiliaries aiding Francisco Pizarro in the conquest of Peru between 1532 and 1542. He was born free near Jaraicejo, Spain in 1495, most likely of African and Spanish descent, although he was … Read MoreJuan Garcia (1495?- ? )
Map of Yucatan “Image Ownership: Public Domain” Sebastián Toral was one of the earliest black conquistadores in the New World. He helped the Spanish to conquer the southern Mexican state of Yucatán in the 1530s and 1540s. Although historians do not know much information about … Read MoreSebastián Toral (? — ?)
Mengistu Haile Mariam, a former Lieutenant Colonel in the Ethiopian Army, led a coup which ousted Emperor Haile Selassie from power in 1974. Mengistu took control of the government and served as its Communist head of state in Ethiopia from 1977 to 1991. He formally … Read MoreMengistu Haile Mariam (1937- )
