Andrea Aguyar (a.k.a. Andrea Aquyar and Andrea il Moro), 1810?-1849

The heroic soldier and trusted personal assistant of the revered Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi was a man of African descent nicknamed Andrea il Moro (Andrew the Moor), but born into slavery as Andrea Aguyar in Montevideo, Uruguay. His exact birth date and parents are unknown. One major consequence … Read MoreAndrea Aguyar (a.k.a. Andrea Aquyar and Andrea il Moro), 1810?-1849

André Rebouças (1838-1898)

André Pinto Rebouças was a Brazilian engineer and abolitionist, best known for creating one of the world’s first self-propelled torpedoes during the Paraguayan War. Rebouças was born on January 13, 1838 in Cachoeira, Brazil. The son of Antônio Pereira Rebouças, a prominent lawyer and politician and an unidentified black … Read MoreAndré Rebouças (1838-1898)

William B. Tillman (a.k.a. William Tilghman, 1834?-1880?)

The violent, heroic actions of an illiterate black sailor threatened with enslavement enthralled newspaper and magazine readers during the tense early phase of the American Civil War. Born free in Milford, Delaware—a state that permitted slavery but had a relatively small slave population—William B. Tillman found opportunity as a … Read MoreWilliam B. Tillman (a.k.a. William Tilghman, 1834?-1880?)

Leslie Brennan Rout, Jr. (1935-1987)

Leslie B. Rout, Jr. was a Latin American history professor, jazz musician, and author.  Rout was born into poverty in Chicago, Illinois on February 26, 1935 to a former Army master sergeant Leslie B. Rout, Sr.  His mother’s name is unknown.  Rout earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history at Loyola University … Read MoreLeslie Brennan Rout, Jr. (1935-1987)

Larry L. Palmer (1949- )

“Image Ownership: Public Domain” On November 1, 2011, President Barack H. Obama appointed Larry L. Palmer the United States Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean. On March 30, 2012, the U.S. Senate confirmed Palmer’s nomination and he reported to his post in Bridgetown, Barbados. … Read MoreLarry L. Palmer (1949- )

Aurelia Erskine Brazeal (1943- )

Ambassador Aurelia Erskine Brazeal was a career diplomat and the first black woman to be named ambassador by three Presidents. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush appointed her ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia.  Three years later President Bill Clinton named her ambassador to … Read MoreAurelia Erskine Brazeal (1943- )