Sidi Mubarak Bombay (a.k.a. Mbarak Mombée, 1820?-1885)

Sidi Mubarak Bombay, one of the most extensive travelers in sub-Saharan Africa in the 19th century, was honored for his assistance to British explorers and adventurers. Bombay, of waYao/Bantu ethnicity, was born in the Ruvuma Region of southern Tanzania around 1820. Separated from his parents … Read MoreSidi Mubarak Bombay (a.k.a. Mbarak Mombée, 1820?-1885)

Raphael Abraham Frank Mensah (1924-1990s)

Raphael Abraham Frank Mensah (1924-1990s), a schoolmaster and theologian, played a foundational role in bringing Mormonism to Ghana. Born in 1924 in Winneba, Gold Coast, as the British colony of Ghana was then called, he was the eldest of five children, three sons and two … Read MoreRaphael Abraham Frank Mensah (1924-1990s)

John Abraham Godson (1970- )

John Abraham Godson, a conservative politician, university lecturer, businessman, and former Pentecostal preacher, is the first person of African descent elected to public office in Poland. He was born on November 25, 1970, in Umuahia, Nigeria, as Godson Chikama Onyekwere. His father, Silvanus Nwokocha Onyekwere, … Read MoreJohn Abraham Godson (1970- )

Louise Celia “Lulu” Fleming (1862-1899)

Louise Cecelia Fleming, the first African American to graduate from the Women’s Medical College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was born January 28, 1862, to slave parents on a plantation near Hibernia in Clay County, Florida. Her father is unknown; she was raised by her mother, who … Read MoreLouise Celia “Lulu” Fleming (1862-1899)

Lott Carey (Cary) (1780-1828)

Born into slavery in Charles City County, Virginia, Lott Carey (sometimes spelled “Cary”) was one of the first African American Baptist missionaries to preach and work in Africa.  Although Carey may have received Christian teachings from his father, a respected member of the Baptist church, … Read MoreLott Carey (Cary) (1780-1828)