William T. Shorey: The Black Whaling Captain
William T. Shorey was a late 19th-century Caribbean-American whaling ship captain affectionately known to his crew as the Black Ahab, after Moby Dick’s protagonist. He...
Category : Biographies
Sam Greenlee: The Spook Who Sat by the Door
“A free black mind is a concealed weapon!” Samuel Greenlee, Jr. was an African-American novelist, poet, screenwriter, journalist, teacher, and talk show host, best known...
Gullah Jack: “The Little Man Who Can’t Be Killed”
Gullah Jack, also known as Couter Jack and sometimes referred to as “Gullah” Jack Pritchard, was an African conjurer who is historically known for aiding...
Lucy Terry: Singer Of History
[dropcap size=small]L[/dropcap]ucy Terry Prince, known as Lucy Terry, (c. 1730–1821) was brought to Rhode Island from Africa. Her future husband purchased her freedom before their...
Herbert Henry “Herb” McKenley: A Jamaican Track and Field Hero
Herbert Henry “Herb” McKenley OM was a Jamaican sprint runner and the only athlete to reach an Olympic track final in all three of the...
Rafael Cepeda: The Patriarch of the Bomba and Plena
Rafael Cepeda Atiles is known as “The Patriarch of the Bomba and Plena.” He was the patriarch of the Cepeda family, known internationally as the...
Arthur Ashe: Tennis Champion
Arthur Ashe is the first African American, and is still the only, African-American male player to win the men’s singles at Wimbledon and the U.S....
Mary Jane McLeod Bethune: The First Lady of The Struggle
Mary Jane McLeod Bethune was an American educator, known as “The First Lady of The Struggle” because of her commitment to giving African Americans a...
Jean-Pierre Boyer: President of Haiti from 1818 to 1843
Jean-Pierre Boyer (born 1776—died July 9, 1850) was one of the leaders of the Haitian Revolution and President of Haiti from 1818 to 1843. He...
Rei Amador: General Captain of War
Rei Amador, known as also “General Captain of War” and “King Amador” is a major figure in the history of Sao Tome and Principe, and...