Joice Mujuru (1955- )

Joice Runaida Mujuru, also known as Teurai Ropa Nhongo, is a Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who served as Vice President of Zimbabwe from 2004 to 2014. Prior to that, she had served as a government minister. She was also vice president of ZANU–PF, one of the dominant political parties in the nation. Mujuru was born on April 15, 1955 in […]

Mbuya Nehanda (c. 1840-1898)

Nehanda Charwe Nyakasikana, also known as Mbuya Nehanda, was a Svikiro or spirit medium of the Zezuru Shona people. She was also one of the leaders of the Chimurenga Uprising in the 1890s against the British South Africa Company under the leadership of Cecil John Rhodes which was attempting to gain control of much of Southern Africa. Charwe Nyakasikana was […]

David Ray “Doc” Roberts (1972- )

David Ray “Doc” Roberts is a baseball manager and former outfielder. Roberts was born on May 31, 1972, to Waymon Roberts, an African American United States Marine, and Eiko Roberts, a Japanese woman in Naha, Okinawa, Japan. During his early childhood, Roberts and his family lived at military bases in Okinawa, California, North Carolina, and Hawaii before finally settling in […]

Mmanthatisi (1784-1847)

Mmanthatisi was the chief military strategist of the Tlowka people in early 19th Century South Africa. Mmanthatisi was born in 1784 to Mothaha, chief of the Basia ethnic group, and unnamed mother. At a young age, Mmanthatisi was sent to marry her cousin, Mokotjo, who was the chief of the Batlokwa people. The couple had three children together, including a […]

The North Little Rock High School Desegregation Crisis (1957)

The North Little Rock High School Desegregation Crisis created the North Little Rock Six, a group of six African American students who attempted to desegregate North Little Rock High School on September 9, 1957. This desegregation event was overshadowed by the nationally-prominent effort to desegregate Little Rock’s Central High School. In 1955 the North Little Rock School Board voted to […]

Rose Chibambo (1928-2016)

Rose Lomathinda Chibambo was a prominent politician in the British protectorate of Nyasaland in the years leading up to independence as the state of Malawi in 1964 and immediately thereafter. Chibambo organized Malawian women in their political struggle against the British as a political force to be reckoned with alongside their men in the fight for independence. Chibambo, whose maiden […]

Alice Banze (?- )

Alice Banze, born and raised in Maputo, Mozambique, is a trained social scientist with a 25-year career in civil society organizations (Oxfam, Gender Links) and government. Very little is known about her personal life including her parents. Banze is executive director of the Gender and Sustainable Development Association and a member of the African Women Leaders Network, supported by UN […]

Rita M. de Chabert-Schuster (1933-2023)

Dame of Magistral Grace of the Sovereign Order of Malta in the Virgin Islands, philanthropist, entrepreneur, educator, and real estate developer, Rita M. de Chabert-Schuster was born on May 27, 1933, in Christiansted, Virgin Islands, to Ralph de Magne de Chabert, Sr., a journalist and real estate investor, and Ansetta Muckle de Chabert Clarke, an entrepreneur from Frederiksted. Her siblings […]

Clarence Edwin “Cito” Gaston (1944- )

Clarence Edwin “Cito” Gaston is a baseball manager, coach, and outfielder. Gaston was born on March 17, 1944, to Sammy Gaston and Gertrude Coley in San Antonio, Texas. Growing up, Gaston’s adopting the nickname “Cito” is often disputed. He claims he adopted the name from a Mexican-American wrestler he watched when he was young. Another claim was that he adopted […]

Farida Charity (1987- )

Farida Charity is a community leader and peace activist who supports peace initiatives in the conflict-affected Yumbe district of northern Uganda. Very little is known about her personal life. Charity began her activism at a young age. At 15, she participated in peace negotiations with the Uganda National Rescue Front that led to an official ceasefire agreement between the rebels […]