On this day February 11 in 1990, Nelson Mandela, the first black president of South Africa was released from prison after 27 years.
He was the leader of the movement to end apartheid in South Africa. In 1961, he was arrested for treason, and although acquitted he was arrested again in 1962 for…
On this day, 28th January 1997, apartheid police officers admitted to the killing of Steve Biko before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Four apartheid-era police officers, including police Colonel Gideon Nieuwoudt who appeared before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) admitted their role in the 1977 killing of Steve Biko, the leader…
On this day, 26th January 1947 Nii Kwabena Bonne II organized a boycott of all European goods
Nii Kwabena Bonne II organized a boycott of all European goods in response to their high prices which was having a toll on the living conditions of people in the…
On this Day January 22 1949, Dr. J. Robert Gladden became the first Board-Certified African-American surgeon
Gladden was born Oct. 29, 1911 in Charlotte, N.C. He first entered college at Long Island University, and earned a medical degree from Meharry Medical College. Studying his field at…
On this day, 14th of January in 1904, exactly 117 years ago, Philip Comi Gbeho was born
He was a Ghanaian musician, composer and teacher. He is best known for his composition of the Ghana National Anthem. He was also instrumental in the establishment of the Arts…
On this day 18 December in 1865, the US announced to the world the abolishment of slavery.
This followed the formal adoption of the 13th Amendment into the U.S. Constitution, which outlawed slavery in the U.S. This ensured that “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude… shall exist within…
On this day December 10,1964 Martin Luther King, Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his dynamic leadership of the Civil Rights movement and steadfast commitment to achieving racial justice through non-violent action
King accepted the award in Oslo, Norway on behalf of the Civil Rights movement and pledged the prize money to the movement’s continued development. At the age of thirty-five, African…
On this day December 9 in 1961, the United Republic of Tanzania re-gained its independence from their colonial rulers
Independence Day, popularly known as “Siku ya Uhuru” was won by Julius “Mwalimu” Nyerere of the National Union Party (NUP) who also became the 1st president at 59 years old. Tanzania…
On this day 25th November, 1955 the Interstate Commerce Commission banned racial segregation on interstate buses, train lines, and in waiting rooms
The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was a regulatory agency in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The ICC ruled that “the disadvantages to a traveler…
Oliver Tambo
Oliver Reginald Kaizana Tambo, also known as O. R. Tambo, was a South African anti-apartheid politician and revolutionist who served as President of the African National Congress from 1967 to…
On this day 23rd October in 2011, Tunisia held its first free elections since attaining independence in 1956
The elections came just months after a revolution sparked by several months of protests triggered by the self-immolition of a Tunisian merchant by the name of Mohamed Bouazizi. Voter turnout…
On this day, 19th October in 1944, the US Navy accepted black women into the service
Franklin Delano Roosevelt the 32nd president of the USA instructed the Navy to accept African-American women into the WAVES. The first African-American WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) a…
The Demerara Rebellion of 1823
The Demerara Rebellion of 1823 was an uprising involving more than ten thousand enslaved people in the Crown colony of Demerara-Essequibo (now part of Guyana) on the coast of South…
The Independence day of the Democratic Republic of Congo today the 30th of June which happened in 1960
As the various European powers vied for control of the African continent in the late 19th century, the Congo came under the gaze of King Leopold II of Belgium. Leopold…
The Independence Day of Seychelles which is celebrated on June 29 to commemorate the country’s independence from the United Kingdom in 1976.
The Republic of Seychelles is an archipelago country in the Indian Ocean, located about 1,500 kilometers east of the East African coast. The first Europeans to set foot on the…
On June 22, 1937, Joe Louis , an African American boxer became heavyweight boxing champion of the world by dethroning James Braddock
On June 22, 1937, James Braddock and Joe Louis clashed for the championship and having an African American in the title match was a huge deal for boxing fanatics. At…
An observation of a day of fasting by black Americans on 2nd June, 1899 to protest against lynchings
This was called for by the National Afro-American Council to protest lynching and racial massacres. In May of 1899 the newly formed African American Council issued a proclamation calling upon…
Today we remember the U.S Supreme Court ruling that declared Joseph Cinqué, the son of an African king and his fellow Africans free
On June 30 1839, in the most famous slave revolt ship in history, Joseph Cinqué a West African prince of the Mende people led a revolt of many Africans on the Spanish slave ship La Amistad…
Today we remember the release of Nelson Madiba Mandela from the Robben Island prison in South Africa after a period of 27 years.
South Africa’s first black President, led the fight against apartheid, a system of racial segregation that privileged whites over blacks. He was arrested on Aug. 5, 1962, and was sentenced…
International Day of Education
Today, January 24 is International Day of Education, a day instituted by the United Nations to honor education and its centrality to human wellbeing and sustainable development. The day is…