Biographies of influential activists, humanitarians and advocates who have worked to create social change and improve people’s lives.
Olaudah Equiano, also known as Gustavus Vassa, was an African-born writer, sailor, merchant and abolitionist whose life became one of the most important personal accounts of the transatlantic slave trade. His 1789 autobiography, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himself, brought the experiences of enslavement … Read more
Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, widely known as MKO Abiola, was a Nigerian businessman, publisher, philanthropist and politician whose life became closely linked with Nigeria’s struggle for democratic government. Born in Abeokuta in 1937, he rose from a difficult childhood to build a large business empire before entering national politics. Abiola became the presidential candidate of … Read more
Josephine Baker was an American-born French dancer, singer, actress, civil rights activist and member of the French Resistance during the Second World War. Born into poverty in St. Louis, Missouri, she became one of the most famous performers in 1920s Paris and later used her international reputation in the fight against racism and fascism. Baker … Read more
Locksley Edmondson was a Jamaican scholar whose work connected African politics, Caribbean studies, international relations and the African diaspora. He spent much of his career examining race, political development and the relationships between Africa and Black communities across the world. Edmondson became particularly associated with Cornell University, where he helped strengthen Africana Studies as an … Read more
Professor Fantu Cheru was an Ethiopian-born African intellectual, political economist, development scholar, professor and international policy adviser whose work shaped debates about Africa’s development, globalization, structural adjustment and economic sovereignty. Born in rural Ethiopia in 1949, he rose from humble beginnings to become Professor of African and Development Studies at American University in Washington, DC, … Read more