Heroes and Heroines

Desmond Mpilo Tutu (October 7, 1931–December 26, 2021) was a South African Anglican cleric, theologian, human rights advocate, and anti-apartheid leader whose moral leadership and...

Waiyaki wa Hinga (c.1850–1892) was a prominent Kikuyu leader and one of the earliest African rulers to resist British colonial penetration into present-day Kenya.  ...

Sobhuza II (July 22, 1899-August 21, 1982) reigned as king of the Swazi people from 1921-82, and was one of the longest-reigning monarchs in the...

Ladapo Samuel Ademola II (c.1862–1962) was the Alake of Egbaland from 1920 to 1962 and one of Nigeria’s most distinguished traditional rulers during the colonial...

Iyonkum Marcel, or Nesfar, (circa 1924-February, 1964), the deputy mayor of Mangai on the Kasai River, single-handedly fought the rebel forces of Pierre Mulele who...

More a symbol than an actual historical personage, the mulopwe (Luba king) Kalala Ilunga (who may have flourished circa 1600) is regarded as the father...

Monseigneur Kajiga Balihuta (1922-1976), was an outstanding churchman, author, and philosopher. Born in Rugu, he later entered the Catholic secondary school at Mugeri-Katana, 30 km...

Samora Moisés Machel (1933–1986) was a Mozambican revolutionary leader, military commander, and statesman who guided Mozambique to independence after centuries of Portuguese colonial rule. Machel...

Thomas Isidore Noel Sankara (1949–1987) was a Burkinabé military officer, revolutionary leader, and Pan-Africanist whose brief presidency transformed the political landscape of Burkina Faso and...

Léopold Sédar Senghor (October 9, 1906 – December 20, 2001) was a Senegalese poet, philosopher, statesman, and cultural theorist who played a central role in...