Ibtihaj Muhammad is a saber and United States fencing team member who won a bronze medal in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She became the first Muslim American woman to wear a hijab (headscarf) while competing in the Olympics. Muhammad was … Read MoreIbtihaj Muhammad (1985- )
Januário Garcia Jr. hailed from Minas Gerais, a Brazilian state renowned for its significant population of Afrodescendentes, or Black Brazilians. Born on November 16, 1943, into a modest family residing on the outskirts of Belo Horizonte, the state capital, Garcia embarked on a journey to … Read MoreJanuário Garcia Jr (1943-2021)
Diambi Kabatusuila is the traditional Queen of the Bakwa Luntu people of the Kingdom of Luba, located in the southern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. She also holds the title of Mukalenga Mukaji wa Nkashama wa Bakwa Luntu wa Baluba wa Congo, which … Read MoreQueen Diambi (1970s – )
Francisco Paulo de Almeida, first and only Baron of Guaraciaba, was a Brazilian landowner and banker. He distinguished himself by being one of the most financially successful black men in the Empire of Brazil. He owned several plantations and about two hundred slaves on just … Read MoreFrancisco Paulo de Almeida (1826-1901)
Afro-British musician, composer, and orchestra leader Joseph Antonio Emidy is believed to have been born sometime in the year 1775 in Guinea, West Africa. Enslaved at age 12, Portuguese traders brought him to Brazil, where Jesuit priests, recognizing his natural talent and intelligence, taught him … Read MoreJoseph Antonio Emidy (a.k.a. Joseph Emedy and Joseph Emedee, 1775-1835)
Jesuit priest, missionary, diplomat, orator, and theologian Antônio Vieira was born in Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal, on February 6, 1608, the first of the four sons of Maria de Azevedo, a mulatto woman and civil servant Cristóvão Vieira Ravasco. At age six, when … Read MoreAntônio Vieira (1608-1697)
José Maria Pereira Neves is a Cape Verdean politician who is currently President of Cape Verde, having previously served as Prime Minister of Cape Verde from 2001 to 2016. He is a member of the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV). Neves … Read MoreJosé Maria Neves (1960- )
Vaudeville performer Esther Jones was known on stage by many names, including “Baby Esther,” “Little Esther,” “Farina’s Kid Sister,” and “Miniature Florence Mills,” is widely, although not universally, credited with being the inspiration for the Betty Boop cartoon character. Jones was born Esther Lee Jones … Read MoreEsther Jones (1918-1984)
The Malê Rebellion in Brazil, also known as The Great Revolt, was a Muslim slave rebellion in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, in January 1835. The uprising occurred on a Sunday during Ramadan when enslaved African Muslims and freemen rose against the government. Yoruba and Hausa Muslims … Read MoreThe Malê Rebellion in Brazil (1835)
