Timelines from Black History 9780744039092

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TIMELINES FROM BLACK HISTORY Leaders, Legends, Legacies

Content from previous books DK LONDON Designer Joe Lawrence Senior Editor Steven Carton Illustrator Lauren Quinn DK Media Archive Romaine Werblow Picture Researchers Rituraj Singh, Vagisha Pushp Managing Editor Lisa Gillespie Managing Art Editor Owen Peyton Jones Production Editor George Nimmo Senior Production Controller Rachel Ng Jacket Designer Surabhi Wadhwa-Gandhi Jackets Design Development Manager Sophia MTT Publisher Andrew Macintyre Art Director Karen Self Associate Publishing Director Liz Wheeler Publishing Director Jonathan Metcalf Writer and consultant Mireille Harper DK DELHI Senior Jacket Designer Suhita Dharamjit Senior DTP Designer Harish Aggarwal First American Edition. 2020 Published in the United States by DK Publishing 1450 Broadway, Suite 801, New York, NY 10018 Copyright © 2020 Dorling Kindersley Limited DK, a Division of Penguin Random House LLC 20 21 22 23 24 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 001–323546–October/2020 All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. ISBN 978-0-7440-3909-2 DK books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising, or educational use. For details, contact: DK Publishing Special Markets, 1450 Broadway, Suite 801, New York, NY 10018 [email protected] Printed and bound in China

For the curious www.dk.com This book was made with Forest Stewardship Council ™ certified paper—one small step in DK’s commitment to a sustainable future. For more information go to www.dk.com/our-green-pledge

Roughly two-thirds of the content in this book has been published before in the DK books Timelines of Everything (2018) and Timelines of Everyone (2020). This material has been updated with new stories and images to more fully reflect Black history. We decided to gather it together with some wonderful new content in order to focus on Black history and Black people. We did this to more fully reflect the identities, cultures, contributions, and experiences of people of Black and mixed heritages throughout history and around the world.

Focusing on Black history Traditionally, history has been recorded and written by men from privileged backgrounds, who often have a European focus when they assess the past. This has meant that most history books have hidden, overshadowed, and excluded the exciting lives and amazing accomplishments of women, and of people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. We’ve made this book differently: here you will find wonderful timelines that focus on amazing Black history, and amazing Black people of different genders, nationalities, beliefs, heritages, religions, and sexualities.

Traveling through time Some dates have BCE and CE after them. These are short for “before the Common Era” and “Common Era.” The Common Era dates from when people think Jesus Christ was born. Where the exact date of an event is not known, “c.” is used. This is short for the Latin word circa, meaning “around,” and indicates that the date is approximate.

6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48

Foreword Human origins Early African kingdoms Great Zimbabwe Mansa Musa Askia the Great Nzinga Mbandi Later African kingdoms Slavery in the US Toussaint L’Ouverture Olaudah Equiano Mary Seacole Frederick Douglass Harriet Tubman Rebecca Lee Crumpler Lewis Howard Latimer African Americans and the US Civil War The 54th Massachusetts Sarah Breedlove Colonialism in Africa Zora Neale Hurston Taytu Betul

50 52 54 56 58 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 89 90 92 94 96

Josephine Baker Nelson Mandela Maya Angelou The US Civil Rights Movement Martin Luther King, Jr. Nina Simone Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Fela Kuti Wangari Maathai Muhammad Ali Oprah Winfrey Rosa Parks Postcolonial Africa Kwame Nkrumah and Ghanaian Independence Barack Obama Serena Williams LeBron James Stormzy Mari Copeny Marley Dias Black history stars Glossary Index Acknowledgments

Foreword As a young child, my mom would tell me stories about brilliant Black people throughout history. My favorite was Nanny of the Maroons, a national hero in Jamaica, where my mom was born. Nanny was the leader of a community of formerly enslaved people known as the Maroons, who she led to victory against British colonizers. She was a real-life heroine. Learning about Nanny and all the revolutionary people who had come before me, I felt inspired and empowered from a young age, and proud of my heritage. When I started going to school, however, I found that the heroes I knew and loved weren’t recognized. My school history books and curriculum often featured only white people, and mentioned Black people only in the context of slavery. I knew that there had been Black leaders, historians, activists, writers, politicians, and change-makers—so why weren’t they celebrated, too? Black history has been overlooked and minimized in every area of society, and even worse, often erased. Yet, the contributions of Black people to society influence every part of how we live, from the art and culture we consume, to the rights we have. At the time of writing this, one of the biggest global movements in history, Black Lives Matter, has shone a light on the injustices that still exist in society. At a time when Black people are continuing to face racism, hostility, and discrimination, it is more vital than ever that our history be celebrated. Over the course of this book, you will meet a plethora of inspirational and influential names throughout history. Spanning the UK, the US, Africa, the Caribbean, and beyond, and covering the mighty African empires, the Colonization of Africa, the US Civil Rights Movement and more, you’ll learn about some of the most defining periods in history, and the people who paved the way for others to follow—from the literary legend Maya Angelou and the incredible environmentalist Wangari Maathai, to the luminaries of this generation, such as the British rapper Stormzy, and activists Amariyanna Copeny and Marley Dias. My hope is that the legends, leaders, and legacies in this book speak to you just like the stories from my youth spoke to me. Black culture, contributions, and consciousness— they are the past, the present, and the future.

Mireille Harper

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Lucy In 1974, anthropologists discovered parts of a fossilized skeleton while digging in Ethiopia. They named the Australopithecus afarensis skeleton Lucy, and later analysis showed that Lucy lived about 3.2 million years ago, making her the oldest human ancestor found at that time. Several hundred pieces of fossilized bone found make up about 40 percent of Lucy’s skeleton.

c. 65 mya

c. 5.8 mya

c. 4 mya

c. 2.5 mya

c. 1.9 mya

c. 1.5 mya

Primates

Australopithecus

Homo erectus

Fire

The earliest human ancestors we know about are primatelike mammals. They have small bodies and look similar to modern monkeys and apes. Over time, these animals evolve and divide into two groups: one which leads to gorillas, and the other to hominins (humanlike primates).

Primate ancestors of humans, known as Australopithecus, live in various places in Africa. They walk on two legs and have small canine teeth, just like modern humans. Millions of years later in 1974, anthropologists in Ethiopia find a fossil-like skeleton from the era, which they name Lucy.

Facing difficult weather and living conditions, some early human species known as Homo erectus (“upright human”) migrate out of Africa, eventually reaching as far as modernday South East Asia. They are the first hominin with the body size of modern humans.

Early signs of human ancestors using fire are found in Koobi Fora and Chesowanja, Kenya. Areas of reddened soil and stone tools date back to about 1.5 million years ago: evidence that fire is used in the process of cooking food.

Orrorin tugensis One of the earliest-known hominins, Orrorin tugenensis has humanlike traits such as walking upright, but climbs trees and has apelike teeth.

8

Homo habilis Primates known as Homo habilis live across sub-Saharan Africa. They have larger brains and more humanlike features —so much so that they are considered to be the first proper human ancestors. Nicknamed “handy human,” Homo habilis make stone tools, often for cutting and chopping meat, a staple of their diet.

GUIDE SHOWING FRAGMENTS OF FOSSILS AT KOOBI FORA

Human origins Evolution is the slow process of living things changing over millions of years. The fossil record shows that our species, Homo sapiens, began as Homo habilis, about 2.5 million years ago ( mya ). It also shows that the entire human story began in Africa, with our ancestors gradually spreading out across Earth.

c. 500,000 ya

c. 400,000 ya

c. 200,000 ya

c. 200,000– 150,000 ya

Homo sapiens Shelter Homo erectus living in parts of Asia build shelters. In 2001, the oldest structure is found in Tokyo, Japan, by archaeologists, who find stone tools around a hutlike structure.

All human beings today belong to the Homo sapiens species, which originates in Africa. Some later migrate to Asia, Europe, and the other continents. They have larger brains and lighter skeletons than their ancestors.

Homo neanderthalensis Found across Europe and Asia, the Homo neanderthalensis are similar to earlier human species, but have stockier bodies. They are skilled hunter-gatherers, make symbolic ornaments and objects, and overlap with modern humans (Homo sapiens), but later become extinct.

c. 400 ya First civilizations

Homo sapiens develop speech and writing systems as well as rituals, traditions, and ways of living, all hallmarks of the first civilizations. Today, roughly 1.3 billion people live in Africa, with perhaps a further 220 million people who claim African descent living on other continents.

Mitochondrial Eve

STONE HAND AX MADE BY EARLY HOMO SAPIENS

In 1987, geneticists find that mitochondrial DNA (genetic information passed from mothers to their offspring) from 147 people links to a common female ancestor, living around 200,000–150,000 years ago. Named Mitochondrial Eve, she is the most recent common ancestor to all modern humans. She is believed to have lived in modern-day Botswana.

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10

The Aksumite Empire created some highly distinctive architecture. Their carved granite obelisks (tall pillars) are believed to mark the location of the underground tombs of the kingdom’s previous rulers. This one stands in the ancient city of Aksum, Ethiopia.

Aksum obelisk

c. 3300 bce c. 2500 bce c. 1730 bce

From their homeland in modern-day Nigeria, Bantu-speaking farming people move south and east through Africa. They grow yams, cassava, millet, and sorghum. By 600  bce, they are also able to make iron tools.

Farming people

Though historians debate its exact location, evidence of the Kingdom of Punt come from records of it trading with Ancient Egypt. Known as the “Land of the Gods,” it is vastly rich, with its exports including woods, perfumes, cosmetics, and animals.

Punt

The region of Nubia (modern-day southern Egypt and northern Sudan) is home to multiple kingdoms that rise and fall from this time. These kingdoms trade in gold, ebony, ivory, and incense, among other goods.

Nubian kingdoms

Ancient African civilizations begin to flourish, particularly in the lush and habitable lands of modern-day Nigeria and Cameroon in West Africa.

Ancient civilizations

Located around the Nile River Valley, the Kingdom of Kush controls Nubia in this period. Kush’s cities and towns contained distinctive pyramids and temples.

Kingdom of Kush

Africa has been home to some of the wealthiest, most powerful, and most culturally fruitful civilizations in world history. Many of these kingdoms left a lasting legacy in art, architecture, religion, and traditions, both within Africa and further afield.

Early African kingdoms

c. 4500 bce c. 1000 bce

c. 980 bce c. 80 bce c. 400 ce c. 400  c. 850 c. 1100 1324

The Mali Empire conquers Ghana. The capital is Timbuktu, famed for its wealth. In 1324, King Mansa Musa sets off on a two-year pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, giving away so much gold along the way that the metal plunges in value.

Mali Empire

The Kanem-Bornu Empire, which stretches from modern-day Chad to southern Libya, begins to flourish. It becomes an Islamic empire in 1085. The empire is on a trade route from the Nile Valley to sub-Saharan Africa.

Kanem-Bornu Empire

The Empire of Ghana becomes the first great West African trading state. Ghana is rich in gold, which it trades with North Africans who cross the Sahara Desert by camel.

Empire of Ghana

When King Ezana of Aksum converts to Christianity, Aksum becomes the world’s first Christian state. Coins issued during his reign drop pagan images and begin to show the cross, a symbol of Christianity.

First Christian state

Often cited as the first kingdom in Ethiopia, Da’amat is a small but highly sophisticated and literate society. The Temple of Yeha, said to be dedicated to the god Ilmuqah, will survive to be one of the lasting traces of the kingdom. It is the oldest building in modern-day Ethiopia.

Da’amat

The Kingdom of Zimbabwe emerges in southeast Africa. It trades in salt, iron, copper, and ivory. Its capital, known as Great Zimbabwe, features towers that are the largest structures in sub-Saharan Africa before European conquest.

Zimbabwe

This carved figure of a bull was found in an Ethiopian site connected to the Aksumite Empire. It features inscriptions in Arabic, and is evidence of the trading relationship between the two areas.

Located in the rocky highlands of Ethiopia, the Aksumite Empire is one of the most literate and urbanized states of its time. The Aksumites not only have advanced architecture such as temples and palaces, but also build dams and reservoirs, and trade with Arabia across the Red Sea.

Aksumite Empire

THE RUINS OF THE TEMPLE OF YEHA

Great Zimbabwe The ancestors of the modern-day Shona people in southern Africa established the impressive Kingdom of Zimbabwe about 1,000 years ago. At the height of its power, the capital city, Great Zimbabwe, may have been home to more than 18,000 people. At its center, protected by 33-ft (11-m) tall walls, is the Imba Huru (Great Enclosure). It is thought to have housed the royal family and other important people. For years, many non-Africans disputed the achievements of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe—wrongly stating that Black Africans could not have built a society and monuments of this complexity.

Mansa Musa

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One of the greatest African rulers of all time, Mansa Musa (1280–1337) led the Mali Empire at the height of its power, wealth, and creativity. During his reign, the empire stretched for 2,000 miles (3,200 km) across West Africa.

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Mali emperors The Mali Empire was one of the greatest African empires in history. It was renowned for its wealth and its influence on West African culture.

Sundiata Keita (?–c. 1255) King of the Mandinka people and the first ruler of the Mali Empire, which he established around 1235. He expanded and developed the empire until his death about 1255.

Abu Bakr II (?–c. 1312) The ninth mansa of the Mali Empire, and an avid explorer. He departed from Mali with 200 boats laden with gold and goods in order to “explore the limits of the ocean.” He was never seen again.

Controlling gold On his way back from Mecca, Musa hears that when he spread his wealth around, he caused the value of gold to drop. Musa borrows gold from moneylenders to restore the value, making him the only person in history to directly control the price of gold.

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Death

After reigning for 25 years, Musa dies and his son Mansa Maghan takes the throne. However, despite their best efforts, Musa’s successors cannot maintain the empire and by 1500, nearly all the lands the kingdom once ruled are lost.

1337

Gold nugget This lump of gold was mined in the same mines that helped bring incredible wealth to Mansa Musa’s Mali. Historians believe that Musa was so wealthy that, even in modern terms, he was the richest person ever to have lived.

15

Askia the Great

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Emperor Askia the Great (c. 1443–1538) was a ruler of the Songhai Empire in western Africa. During his reign, he transformed his empire into a strong military power and a center of Islamic culture. He is remembered as a great leader.

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Songhai Empire The Songhai Empire was one of the most important African empires in the 15th and 16th centuries. It grew rich trading gold and salt along the Niger River and across the Sahara.

16

Sonni Ali (?–d. 1492) One of the first rulers of the Songhai Empire, Sonni Ali reigned from 1464 until his death in 1492. During that time, he built a strong army and navy, and conquered cities, including Timbuktu.

Ahmad Baba (1556–1627) An Islamic writer, Ahmad Baba was born in modern-day Mali. He is considered to be one of the greatest scholars of the 16th century. Baba wrote about how to live as a good person, and criticized the keeping of enslaved people.

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We have no confirmed portraits of Askia—this one is based on how rulers of his time and place dressed. His tomb is 56  ft (17  m ) high, and is built entirely of mud bricks. The wooden beams give the tomb strength, and allow builders to climb it and carry out repairs.

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European pressure

Raids on Ndongo

Nzinga Mbandi is born. Her father is the king of the Ndongo people. At this time, European countries are enslaving people from Africa and transporting them to the Americas to work as slaves. Her father tries his best to keep his people safe.

Nzinga’s father dies, and her brother becomes the king. Portuguese soldiers and raiders have established a fort near Ndongo, and begin raiding and enslaving some of the Ndongo people.

c. 1583

c. 1617

African rulers Africa has produced many great leaders with compelling stories that often do not get as much attention as they deserve. King Ezana of Aksum (c. 303–c. 350) Ezana ruled over Aksum (a region made up of parts of modern-day Ethiopia and Eritrea). He converted to Christianity as a child, and Aksum became the first Christian kingdom in Africa as a result. He had numerous stone obelisks made that recorded his achievements.

Queen Amina of Zazzau (c. 1533–1610) Queen Amina was a skilled military leader who expanded the city-state of Zazzau (in modern-day Nigeria). To protect Zazzau from its enemies, Amina built huge walls around each of her military camps. Some of these walls are still standing today.

Shaka Zulu (c. 1787–1828) Shaka Zulu emerged as a strong and skilled chief of the Zulu Empire (in modern-day South Africa). Shaka added land from conquered tribes into his empire. He got along with the European powers in the area, but many of his people grew tired of his rule. He was eventually assassinated by his half-brother.

18

Peace treaty Nzinga’s brother sends her to meet with the Portuguese to negotiate a peace treaty. To show their authority over Nzinga, the Portuguese do not offer her a chair. When the Portugese refuse to get her a chair, her assistant lays down so she can sit on him. Nzinga negotiates an end to the Portuguese raids in exchange for an agreement to trade with them.

c. 1622

Nzinga Mbandi Queen Nzinga Mbandi (c. 1583–1663) ruled the kingdoms of Ndongo and Matamba (in modern-day Angola). Mbandi spent most of her reign defending her land from Portuguese colonization, and from raiders trying to enslave her people.

c. 1647

c. 1646

Unlikely allies

Warrior queen

Nzinga’s forces, along with her Dutch allies, claim a huge victory against the Portuguese. The following year, Portugal calls in reinforcements from their colony in Brazil, and fight back by expelling the Dutch. Nzinga’s forces must fight on, without Dutch help.

With the help of the Imbangala and the Dutch, Nzinga has a better chance against the Portuguese. Even though she is well past fighting age, Nzinga personally leads her troops into battles.

Becoming queen

Regent Nzinga’s brother dies. As his heir is too young to rule, Nzinga rules in his place as regent. Some of her tribespeople disagree with this decision.

The heir to the throne dies, and Nzinga decides to rule herself. Some believe that she had a hand in the heir’s death and others feel that a woman should not rule, but she has support from many of her people.

1624

c. 1624

Dutch alliance

Military moves

Nzinga allies with the Dutch, Portugal’s European rival in the area. Nzinga begins to prepare for an attack on the Portuguese with Dutch help, which she hopes will help her reclaim Ndongo.

In Matamba, the Imbangala, a group of African soldiers who had been trained by the Portuguese, join Nzinga. She declares herself the queen of Matamba after conquering the region.

1641

1630 Peace again

War continues The back-and-forth war between the Portuguese and Nzinga’s forces rumbles on. Though both sides win important victories, neither is able to beat the other completely and to bring the war to an end.

1648

Nzinga’s refusal to back down eventually tires the Portuguese armies. They sign a peace treaty with Nzinga to end the war and return Ndongo to her. She rules both Ndongo and Matamba until her death in 1663.

1656–1663

c. 1626

Betrayal The Portuguese break the treaty, and attack Nzinga’s people, who are forced to flee Ndongo to the nearby kingdom of Matamba. This marks the beginning of what will be a 30-year war between Nzinga and Portugal.

Askia the Gre

at Ask ia th e G re at ta ke s co nt ro l of th e S on gh ai E m pi re. H is co nq ue sts tu rn into th e la rg es th e em pi re t state in Wes t Afr ic an hi stor prom otes le ar y. H e ni ng an d m akes Is la m th e state re lig io n.

GOLD RING OWNED BY AN ASANTE CHIEF

Asante First Eur

64 c. 14

0

O ba enin ( E K e in m p i re Ew u s t a b l i s g ) Ew he u a re c o s t h e a re t h t o w n s , a n q u e r s B e n i n e G re a 200 Emp t p nd a l a l a c e s o b u n e i g h i re . i b i l n d o s B r e n i n C a g re a i n g t i t y.

B

Atl a

In this period, powerful kingdoms and empires continued to rise and fall in Africa. Many of these realms succeeded in trading, in education, and in establishing formidable military forces. However, the arrival of Europeans brought foreign conquest and colonialism to the continent, which changed Africa’s story forever.

c.1670

14 4

Later African kingdoms

1 6 52

nt i lice King cs as ns e t Charl sla e s l av ha T h i v e s i n t a l l o I o f S e t ra w s le p de a Spa s A ain t h e n u md s to i n’s A f r i c a n g ra nt b e a d r m e s to s a A Af r i m e r i c c a a n r of p a m at i r i c a n b e s o a s — d fo e o p c i n c o l o l d t h e a b r rc e d t l e e n s c re a s n i e s . At l u t a o w l a v e i n a n t i c l syste o r k i n e d i n sla ve m k t h e t r a d e n ow n as .

So

1493

50

20

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pean co D u tc h c o lony lo n ize r J a nv e sta b li s h e s th e fi rs a n R ie b e e c k c o lo ny a t Eu ro p e t Afr ic a . Th C a p e Tow n in S o a n u th is e of th e Eu ve nt m a rks th e s ta rt ro p e a n c o lo of Afr ic a n izati o n .

c.14

S o n n nghai Emp E m p i A l i s et ir s ir of T i e. W i t h h u p t h e S e m M a l i b u kt u , i s 14 6 8 c o n g h a i he Em on a l o n p i re a n d ta ke s ove q u e st g the c o nt r the r N a f l e e i g e r R i v o l s t ra d e er t of s hips with .

TH E TO M B O F AS K IA TH E G R EAT

Consisting of modern-day Ghana, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire, the Asante Empire is one of the greatest powers in West Africa. It grows rich trading in gold, enslaved people, and guns, and resists European colonization.

21

The Portuguese arrive

Kingdom of Kongo On the southern bank of what’s now known as the Congo River, Lukeni Iua Nimi establishes the Kingdom of Kongo. He rules from Mbanza-Kongo (a city in modern-day Angola).

of l Ada Kingdoomf the as , the i g h t s o f a re t r i e s o f n d t n s he At i t l c o n s i s a y c o u r i t r e a , a i s h A d a d e r n - d i o p i a , E s f l o u r rd s , th i t i e r t ya mo E c , o u t i . M a ny ny c o u a n d Djib a ia l s, a m e Som r it, and mosqu uilt. b , e u n d h o u s e s e s a re n shri

Portuguese people arrive in North Africa and begin trading in goods and enslaved people. They send enslaved people to work on mines and plantations on a small island called São Tomé, setting the foundation for what will later become the Atlantic slave trade.

1415 141

5

METAL FIGURE OF A PORTUGUESE SOLDIER, FOUND IN BENIN

c. 1390

Zulu Kingdom

The palace craftworkers of Benin in West Africa made bronze and brass busts of rulers, such as this 16th-century warrior queen, Idia.

Benin queen 1818

1 8 81

Shaka Zulu establishes the last great sub-Saharan state, the Zulu Kingdom in southern Africa. He creates a centralized state with a professional army, which is later able to fight and defeat European forces.

b l e fo r K in g Af r i c a ow n e r Le o p o ld II o f s h ip of t h e C o B e lg iu m c la im to b e n ng e s we a lt h f it f in a n c ia ll y o re g io n in o . r T f der r h o is m Af r ic a ,” be it w h ic h g in s t h e “S c s m in e ra l e r a m b le n d s in c o lo n iz the fo r c o nt in at io n of a lm o c o n q u e st a n e nt by s d t a ll of E u ro p e a n p ow t h e ers. S c ra m

Cheap labor

Slave ships

The first 20 African prisoners arrive in Jamestown in Virginia. Slaves are a cheaper source of labor than contracted servants, who can eventually earn their freedom.

The city of Boston plays a major part in the slave trade. The first American slave ship, Desire, is built here. In 1638, the first enslaved people are brought to Boston from the West Indies, along with cotton and tobacco.

1619

1636 Underground Railroad

Freedom in Canada

Formerly enslaved people and allies help start the Underground Railroad, a network of safe houses and people who assist runaway enslaved people. Its “Grand Central Station” is established in Indiana. As many as 2,000 enslaved people cross to freedom there.

The Canadian Attorney General (principal lawyer) says that all formerly enslaved people living in Canada are free and will be protected by law. Settlers are also not allowed to bring enslaved people into the country. CANADA

US

1804 1819 Sojourner Truth End of trade The US passes a law that takes the country out of the slave trade. It sends ships to Africa to help rescue enslaved people from enslavers and return them to their homelands. Slave ownership is still legal in most of the southern US states.

1819

Born into slavery, Sojourner Truth becomes a leading abolitionist and spokesperson for women’s rights. She gives a famous speech in Ohio that highlights the need for rights for Black women as well as men.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the abolitionist movement The novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe sells many thousands of copies and changes people’s opinion of slavery. Her book helps the abolitionists’ cause, but tensions between the north and south escalate.

1850 1852

Slavery in the US Slavery was a brutal part of life in the United States from its colonial beginnings, and enslavers used forced labor to build the young nation and its booming economy. By the 19th century, abolitionists were campaigning to free all slaves, in the face of opposition from many American states. This resulted in civil war, with the north fighting to end slavery against the south, who wished to retain it. 22

“Where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob, and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.” Frederick Douglass, from a speech (1886)

Plantations of rice

A life of slavery

Rice is introduced in South Carolina. It takes a lot of work to grow, so European settlers need slave labor to tend the crops and help them make it profitable. By around 1710, there are more enslaved Africans in the state than Europeans.

In Virginia, the General Assembly passes a law stating that any child born to an enslaved mother will also become an enslaved person for life. Most slaveholding colonies or states go on to enact similar laws that discriminate by race.

Quaker protest In Pennsylvania, Quakers protest against slavery. The Quakers are Christians, who believe in treating others fairly. Later, the Quaker Church prevents members from profiting from the slave trade and from owning enslaved people.

1688

1662

Civil War The debate over whether or not new states should use enslaved people splits the country in two. Northern victory in this 4-year conflict ends slavery, but more than 600,000 people lose their lives.

1861

1694

The life of a slave

Freedom Florida

The first slave narrative, a story written by a formerly enslaved person about the experience of slavery, is written in New York. Many more slave narratives follow, one of the most famous of which is written by Frederick Douglass in 1845.

Runaway enslaved people get their freedom in the Spanish territory of Florida. They must give their loyalty to Spain and join the Catholic Church. Many settle in St. Augustine, the oldest European city in the US.

1772

1731

Emancipation Proclamation

Slavery abolished

All enslaved people in the south are declared free on January 1 in President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. This marks a turning point for the war, as Lincoln confirms that the war is a war for freedom, thus strengthening the Union’s resolve.

The Emancipation Proclamation frees enslaved people but does not end slavery itself. The 13th Amendment to the US Constitution brings a permanent end to slavery in all of the United States, including new territories. It remains legal, however, as a punishment for crime. Since 1619, tens of millions of enslaved people had died as a result of slavery.

1865

1863

Slave triangle NORTH AMERICA

EUROPE

We

Manufactured goo ds

erials mat Raw

AT L A N T I C OC E A N st In d ie

s

At least ten million Africans were taken to the Americas in a triangle of trade. Ships from Britain carried manufactured goods such as cloth, ironware, and guns to West Africa. These were exchanged for enslaved men, women, and children. The conditions on the sea crossing to the West Indies were brutal, and many enslaved people did not survive them. Those who did were sold at auctions, and the profits were used to buy sugar, cotton, rum, and tobacco to take back to Britain.

SOUTH AMERICA

En sla ved Afr ica

AFRICA

ns

23

s ion

e ris e ad to

1 1 79

ing Becomrture L’Ouve rs of the

Joining forces

As fig ht ing betwee n re be ls an d th e pla th e ntat ion ow ne rs co nt inu es , To us sa int joi ns th e re be ls un de r th e leade r of th e revo lt, Ge orge s Bi as so u. To us sa int be co m es his m ilitar y co m m an de r.

1791

ande C o m m in th e S pa n is h . h jo n io e Fre n c re b e ll a in st th s sfu ll y r g a a t n h e g e W b et we to fi y. int s u c c t To u s s a 0 0 - tro o p a r m ks o u y S a inta e ,0 r e 4 m b n a h a r s n lo r is d a u s le a W ch co Span pts th e Fre n g u e a n d m in g o, H e ad o tu re (m e a n in g e o r in e e D L’O u v e n e d th D o m y S a n t o o n t ro l t h who op c h c o lo n ht in g to e a rs t h e th e o n e o m th e Fre n c “ s , fr f ig r ita in f it .” ”) g y h o t a in t n w o b r “o p e s d. B re a d wo rd fo is la n n w il l s p a n d s e n d io , . ll a lt re b e , J a m a ic t h e revo y d c o lo n p s to e n t ro o

1 79 3

90 17

1

6 77

1782

a s u t h e nt i t i n e r . At s s a i t c o n f o r m p a i d s u n To s s a i o r h i n ow t h e f s u i To o r k b u t d o n e e p s e l f, n k w , r s a l t o av e t s nd im s l re n o n a p l e h e e s . n e H e at i e o r f r p nt te p l a av e d h e l a l s en whom

Born H e Ed aved u g rn into an en sl c r at e To us sa int is bo om in gu e, on th e g o p l a nt ows -D fa m ily in S ai nt ni ol a. p e d fa t h a t i o n u p o n d s la nd of H is pa is th e . C ar ib be an is a o n e r, a To a s he a fa m ily stor y, e West F n d w , te ac f re e u s s a l ave i Acc ordi ng to th r e n c r i te. H h e s h d e n s nt’s a pr in ce from da . h, gran ds on of i m l av e of A ra m a s Afr ic an ki ng do w e l e a r n t o re e d ll a s s ad s C re o m e ole .

ee 3 3 , Fr ge of freed. es

c. 1743

3

Marriage

1 79 3

176

Toussaint marries Suzanne Simone Baptiste, his godfather’s daughter. He adopts Suzanne’s son, Placide, and they have two sons together, Isaac and Saint-Jean.

S

Fo ee s p r m e kin ea rl g W k o u y e n eq he t a sla ow n l o b o ve u a l fo r c i t i z n e r c a l u t i n d p e i t y m e e n s fa p l a e q o p s f i g r l y e h i p i l to nt at u a l i l e hti ns to gr ion ty. n g l a we a n b r ve d a l t t ea h ks p e o y ou ple t. ,

l s nsionsn Saintn e i e T r i n g t l l i o n t at i o n d n m e re b e P l a n re a S i m s l av e g u e . t o n f i l e d . r a o m i n re s e e k i l r m e D e s a r s a r i s fo p e . e s ca sh s h o u e n s l a v t h e l p i fe e s m i l y ’ fa w n i n d a g s n w s a in o To u l ave r s h i s re j o i n e s . r o n f n u e ec , be s ellio y H e s a fe t e re b h t

Jean-Jacques Dessalines (1758–1806) Like Toussaint L’Ouverture, JeanJacques Dessalines was born into enslavement in Saint-Domingue. He joined the slave rebellion in 1791, and rose through the army ranks to lead many successful campaigns. In 1803, Dessalines defeated the last of Napoleon’s forces, and proclaimed independence for Haiti on January 1, 1804, making the country the first Black independent republic. Dessalines became the country’s first ruler.

into slavery

24

War with Napoleon

D e at h

Afte r m u c Toussaint forces the Wh en Fre nc h rul er h fi e ag a in st Fre rc e fi g hti n g French to declare him Na po leo n Bo na pa rte To u s s a int n c h fo rc e s , Lieutenant Governor of an no un ce s his pla n to s ig tre aty. H ow n s a p e ac e Saint-Domingue. He restore direct rule to the eve r, h e is s e ize d by expels the British and island, Toussaint prepa res s e nt to th e Fre n c h a n d gains territory from p ri s o n his tro op s for wa r. is to rt u re d , w h e re h e Spain. He introduces a Na po leo n dis patch es a n d d ie s . In his 180 4 , constitution, guaranteeing brother-in-law with troops p ro c la S a int- D o m in g u e im s in d e p rights for Black people. to Saint-Domingue. en fro m Fra n d e n c e c e.

1802

1 80 3

TOUSSAINT L’OUVERTURE’S SWORD

1796

Born enslaved in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (modern-day Haiti), Toussaint L’Ouverture (c.  1 743–1803) led a successful slave rebellion against colonial rule. His actions paved the way to establishing Haiti as an independent Black-governed state, and inspired others in the Americas to resist colonial rule.

Toussaint L’Ouverture

1794

Leading the way

French colonialism

intW ith its ru le over Sa d, ne ate re th ue Do mi ng th e Fren ch ab oli sh th eir en slave me nt ac ro ss in Br ita em pire. Spain an d me, refus e to do th e sa to int sa leadin g To us to ce ian eg all his ch an ge his Fran ce. He ins pires . tro op s to fol low him

France began to colonize North America in the 16th century, taking control of much of modern-day Canada, the midwestern United States, and the Caribbean. The colony of Saint-Domingue, on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, was established in 1659. Its slave plantations provided sugar and coffee to France. In the 18th century, slave rebellions and conflicts with colonial rivals led to France losing most of its colonies in North America and the Caribbean.

Switching sides

Olaudah Equiano Kidnapped and enslaved as a child from the Kingdom of Benin (modern-day Nigeria), Olaudah Equiano (1745–1797) dedicated his life to abolishing slavery. After settling in Britain, he wrote about his experiences as an enslaved person in his autobiography, which went on to have a powerful impact on public opinion. Equiano did not live to see the abolition of the slave trade, but his story deeply influenced the abolitionist cause, and encouraged other formerly enslaved people to tell their stories, too. Cheated r wne

shipf Virginia ,

o hael l o ny ic h c o l d to M B r i t i s h s i t i r e o B s h t e n is I n t h a u d a h ff i c e r i n o m m o ve d l c o la O l, an s s i , n t I c a N av y. e rs of e a pt i ve s s a r P o ya l c n e r i w th i he R ro e fo n a m e t t r i p p i n g m e s c i t p ra c l e t o re u r t h e r s a l re n a a . ” p f c p e o way of ay. Pas u s Vas s v a w a a t s s a tity Gu iden udah “ Ola

O

Life at sea

d s seve ra l O la ud ah sp en Pas ca l’s as ye ars at se a l se rvant) na va let (p erso War even Ye ars’ d ur in g th e S ritai n an d B b et wee n ec o m es an Fra nc e. H e b afarer, an d se ex p er ie nc ed owd er o nto ca rr ie s g un p in g battle s. ur d sh ip s’ d ec ks

While enslaved to Pascal, Olaudah is baptized as a Christian and later learns to read and write. Having fought for the British, Olaudah is led to believe that he should gain his freedom, but Pascal cheats him and Olaudah remains enslaved.

bo

la

d Ig ve the ay

e d n n i n- th o r d e r r t of t t h e r b i s m o pa . A te a h of h e n n i n i s s i s e d , d a u i o n t B e h l av O l re g r i a — o f a n d e n s t h e ge om he d, ss o N i i n g d f 1 1 , p p e a c ro a n t K e o dna en ce as. ag e ki tak tic O eric ar and tlan Am A the

s En

1758 6 175

45 17

Slave ship This model shows the appallingly cramped conditions inside the Brookes, a British slave ship. The model was widely reproduced to raise awareness of the evils of the slave trade.

26

1759

Slavery stories Olaudah Equiano’s writing became the blueprint for other enslaved people to write about their own experiences. These narratives helped contribute to the movement to abolish slavery.

Jupiter Hammon (c. 1711–1806) Like Olaudah, Hammon had been enslaved, and used his experiences to argue for abolition. In 1760, he became the first African American to have a poem—called “An Evening Thought”— published. He is regarded as a founder of African American literature.

Freedom

Ola uda h wor ks as a dec kha nd and valet for Kin g, and ear ns mo ney as a trad er, sell ing sug ar and frui t. Afte r thre e yea rs, he has ear ned eno ugh to pay Kin g the exact sum of mo ney he was bou ght for. By the age of 21 he is free.

Zong massacr

e The captain of a Br itish slave ship, th e Zong, throws 133 en overboard in the m slaved people idship owner can cla Atlantic so the im insurance for what is considere “human cargo.” Th d the loss of e barbarism of this act helps Olaudah and other abolitionists to ale rt the public to the cruelty of the slave trade.

Sold Olaudah is sold twice, and ends up enslaved to Robert King, a wealthy merchant, on the Caribbean island of Montserrat. Witnessing the torture of other enslaved Africans reignites Olaudah’s desire to gain his freedom as soon as possible.

1762

Exploring the world

Olau dah uses the skill s he has lear ned as a sailo r to exp lore and disc over the wor ld. One voyage, led by Eng lish exp lore r Con stantine Phip ps, take s him to the Arct ic on a miss ion to find out if the seas there are navi gab le.

1766

in

On his voyage s, Ol au th e ris k of be ing re da h ru ns -e ns laved . He de cid es to settl e in Lo nd on , En gla nd , wh ere his rig ht to be fre e is m ost likely to be protec te d, ev en th slave ry is sti ll leg al ou gh th ere.

17

88

Autobiography

Olaudah dies at the age of 52. His work, and the work of other abolitionists, results in the slave trade being made illegal in the British Empire in 1807. Slavery itself was abolished completely in most British colonies in 1833.

1 786

L

n o ea d w v o Lo i c , O l i n g nd e o au t on n da vo re p o p i c , a n d A f r i c h i s t i c e ort s su hi an he ed ch s c iss lea in as om ues din the sl m g i n e av e r e n t s n ws y a o n p a re pe rs.

Olaudah describes the horrors of slavery in his book The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano: or Gustavus Vassa, the African. It is a huge success, and profoundly influences public opinion. Olaudah spends many months publicly speaking about his life and enslavement.

1784

By

1797

1781

Settling in Brita

Sons

o f Af r In Lo n ic a don, O la w it h 1 1 ot h e u d a h jo in s t h e B la r le ad fo r m t c k c o m m u e r s o f he So n s of A n it y to g ro u p th f s lave r at c a m pa ig r ic a , a y to b e n a b o li s s fo r hed.

1789

1773

Harriet Jacobs (1813–1897) After escaping slavery in 1842, Harriet Jacobs documented her experiences in her autobiography, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. She became involved with the abolitionists associated with the North Star newspaper, set up by prominent African American abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

Phillis Wheatley (c. 1753–1784) Phillis Wheatley was transported from Africa to Boston in colonial America, where she was sold to a merchant who taught her to read and write. She became a poet, and was the first African American woman to have her work published.

Death

27

Mary Seacole

1836

18

51

Tr

05 18 y ar r M the n r o ly is bo an mher in er r c Ea acole mai h fat ica. Hnd a ple a i e J tt s a a o l y S to a c o J a m rs e k p e r ba s a r e i S , u a M rant d a ton a n sic al h er r. G an ngs her, eats tion fath fice Ki ot r, tr adi er y of m le tr . H m a g s r he sin edie h a u m itis re B r

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s ry i r M a re fo , 2 a er r of 1 r c Mahe age mothe se of htions, u r t c o By ing he . B ec a onne nity t u c s p t s l t r h e at i e n a r my p p o c to r n . p e r ’s h e o y d o s s i o r t e h f a t h a s m i l i t a r p ro f t h e e i h h e e s f ro m s atc t h w tise mbin ined her . o c th a s p ra S h e c g e g c e w i e d i e d m n e l e e i r w er l k n o t ex p h e r b a a s ’ h r t he t mo

1 81

7

At a time of great improvement in nursing standards, these African American nurses helped to save countless lives with their dedication to their profession.

18

c.1821

Pioneering health workers

28

W ea b ro h i l e t i n a c the Mar g c h ri y h t h r o l e ra n C r u i s v i s o l e ou i c e e t i n ra p g s u h e r b h t h i d e m s , Pa g h e cc al e t ic na r e m of s sf u e d i ow n . swe m a , the lly cin Us ep in s p n u e, to at i e n r s e s s h e g he ts alt ba man h. ck y

g Travelinthe world,

ex p lo re n, Eag e r to tw ic e to Lo n d o s d il n a a s , y il ry Ma fa m , to v is it E n g la n d ve ls a ro u n d th e late r tra In a ll th e p lac e s r an. C a ri b b e , s h e b o o sts h e s it g is v in y e d h s g e by stu k n ow le d e d ic in e s l a lo c m tm e nts . a n d tre a

Mary Seacole, Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many Lands (1857)

Susie Taylor (1848–1912) Susie Taylor was the first African American Army nurse. She treated Union soldiers fighting in the US Civil War. She was never paid for her work. After the war, she became the first African American to open and teach at a school for formerly enslaved African Americans.

a aic m of a l a w J i c fa t e lo rns topidemften d. Thher l Ye retu an e , an o islan ask g r y s n ar as e he ie si M j u s t fe v i t s t o r i t n u r h e w h h t l l o e, u t i s e o r . ye e a s a l a e r v e s f r my c p dis edi su rvic ish A m to s e r i t B

Marr

“The grateful words ... which rewarded me for binding up a wound ... was a pleasure worth risking life for.”

Mary Eliza Mahoney (1845–1926) Born to formerly enslaved parents, Mary Eliza Mahoney was one of the first African American women to become a registered nurse. She established an organization to help promote African Americans in the nursing profession. She fought for women’s equality and for women to be able to vote.

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Jamaican-born nurse Mary Seacole (1805–1881) dedicated her life to caring for the sick. After her offer to help save lives as a nurse during the Crimean War (1853–1856) in eastern Europe was rejected by the British government, she funded her own trip to the battlefields. There she became known as “Mother Seacole” by the grateful soldiers she cared for. After her death, her remarkable achievements were forgotten for more than a century, but now she is once again recognized as a hero.

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Telling her story Mary’s autobiography, The Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many Lands, is published. In it, she gives her account of caring for the sick and coping with the constant barrage of missiles during the war.

July 1857

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STATUE OF MARY SEACOLE BY SCULPTOR MARTIN JENNINGS OUTSIDE ST THOMAS’ HOSPITAL IN LONDON

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Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave (1845) Aged eight, Frederick is sent to a new enslaver in Baltimore. The enslaver’s wife teaches him to read, but her husband stops the lessons, worried that reading will lead Frederick to demand his freedom. However, he continues to read in secret.

“I set out ... at whatever cost of trouble, to learn how to read.”

1826

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave (1845) Two years after a failed attempt, Frederick successfully escapes by hopping on a train heading north, to the anti-slavery states. He is helped by his fiancée, a free African American woman named Anna Murray, and they marry. He changes his surname to Douglass to divert attention from himself. He becomes a preacher, and begins to campaign against slavery.

“I prayed for freedom for twenty years, but received no answer until I prayed with my legs.”

1838

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave (1845) Having delivered his first anti-slavery speech in 1841, Douglass is now an established public speaker. He writes the first of three volumes of his autobiography. It’s a huge success, but Douglass worries that his old enslaver will find him and claim him back. He decides to leave the US, and travels around Ireland and the UK. Two years later, two Englishmen “purchase” his freedom by paying off his former enslaver.

“You have seen how a man was made a slave; you shall see how a slave was made a man.”

1845

Slogan of The North Star newspaper Returning to the US, Douglass sets up a weekly anti-slavery newspaper, The North Star, in New York. The paper advocates women’s rights, as well as the abolition of slavery.

“Right is of no sex— Truth is of no color.”

1847

About Abraham Lincoln (1864) President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation declares the freedom of all enslaved people in Confederate-held territory. Douglass is critical of Lincoln’s late conversion to abolition but recognizes his hatred of slavery, and the two become friendly.

“[Lincoln] did not let me feel for a moment that there was any difference in the color of our skins.”

1864

“How To End the War,” Douglass’ Monthly (1861) The Civil War breaks out in the US, with slavery as a central point of difference between the anti-slavery Union in the north and pro-slavery Confederacy in the south. Douglass argues that African Americans should be allowed to fight for their freedom for the Union.

“Let the slaves be … formed into a liberating army, to march into the South and raise the banner of Emancipation.”

1861

31

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave (1845) Frederick Bailey is born into slavery in Maryland, the son of an enslaved woman and an unknown white man. He is separated from his mother as an infant, and lives with her parents.

“I do not recollect ever seeing my mother by the light of day ... She would lie down with me, and get me to sleep, but long before I waked she was gone.”

c. 1818

A formerly enslaved person, African American Frederick Douglass (c. 1818–1895) was the leading campaigner against slavery of his time. He was a brilliant public speaker and wrote a best-selling autobiography, which powerfully described the effect of slavery on the enslaved. In his later years, he acted as an advisor to President Abraham Lincoln during the US Civil War, and campaigned for equal rights for all people right up to the end of his life.

Frederick Douglass

From a speech at Civil Rights Mass Meeting, Washington, D.C. (1883) Douglass continues giving powerful speeches well into old age, lecturing and writing in support of civil rights. He dies in 1895 after giving a speech to the National Council of Women.

“No man can put a chain about the ankle of his fellow man without at last finding the other end fastened about his own neck.”

1883

From a speech (1867) The passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution brings slavery in the US to an end forever. Douglass switches his attention to African American rights. He supports Ulysses S. Grant as president in the 1868 election. Grant wins, and he supports guaranteeing African Americans the right to vote, which is granted in 1870 in the Fifteenth Amendment.

“Let no man be kept from the ballot box because of his color.”

1867

Harriet Tubman

Harsh conditions Harriet is born Araminta (“Minty”) Ross in Maryland, into an enslaved family. She endures cruel beatings by enslavers as a child. Aged around 12, she is hit on the head with a heavy metal weight. The injury causes her lifelong seizures and hallucinations.

In the South, Harriet Tubman (c. 1822–1913) battled enslavement and disability to help more than 70 enslaved people escape captivity. She achieved this through a secret network known as the Underground Railroad. In later years, she became a passionate speaker for women’s right to vote.

1822 Harpers Ferry

Female activists of the 19th century Before the 19th century, women’s opinions on how society should work were rarely taken into account. As the abolition cause grew, Black female activists began to speak out about slavery and women’s issues. Sojourner Truth (1797–1883) African American activist Sojourner Truth was born Isabella Baumfree to enslaved parents. After escaping and gaining freedom in 1826, she campaigned passionately for abolition and women’s rights, delivering heartfelt speeches across the nation. Truth would often point to her own muscles, gained during her years of slave labor, to demonstrate a woman’s strength.

Maria W. Stewart (1803–1879) After losing both her parents at the age of five, Maria W. Stewart went on to become a teacher, journalist, and activist. In the 1830s, she became the first African American to lecture for the causes of abolition and women’s rights.

32

Harriet’s success gains her respect among other abolitionists (people looking to end slavery). She helps leading abolitionist John Brown recruit for a planned raid on an arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, which he hopes will start a slave revolt. However, the raid fails and Brown is executed.

Civil war Civil war breaks out between the slaveholding Confederate states of the south and the antislavery Union states of the north. Harriet welcomes the war as an opportunity to advance the abolitionist cause. She works as a nurse, but is soon helping recruit African American soldiers to fight for the Union.

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Moses Harriet mounts 13 successful missions in total. She uses her growing network of trusted friends and contacts to rescue many family members, as well as 50-60 additional people. She earns the nickname “Moses,” after the biblical prophet who led the Hebrews to safety.

1859

1

1851

Combahee River Raid

Humanitarian work

Harriet leads a group of armed scouts through South Carolina’s swamps and marshes, providing key army intelligence. She becomes the first woman in charge of an armed assault during the Civil War when she guides Union steamboats along the Combahee River safely past the Confederate fire. Once ashore, Union troops set several plantations ablaze, liberating more than 700 enslaved people.

The Union Army wins the Civil War, and slavery is finally abolished across the US. Harriet starts a new career helping formerly enslaved people and the poor, but struggles for money, having been denied compensation for her role in the war.

1863

1865

Underground Railroad

Dreams of freedom

Underground Railroad

She marries a free Black man, John Tubman, and around this time she decides to name herself “Harriet,” which was her mother’s name. She sets her heart on escaping slavery by fleeing to the north (where slavery is illegal), but her husband does not share her dream.

When Harriet’s enslaver dies, she fears she will be sold and separated from her family. While “loaned” out to another plantation, she escapes by using a network of trusted people and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad. She reaches the free state of Pennsylvania.

1844

1849

The Underground Railroad was not a literal railroad. Instead, it was a network of secret routes and safe houses organized by Black and white abolitionists along which fleeing enslaved people (or “passengers”) could travel to reach safety in the northern US or Canada. Small bands of runaways, led by a guide or “conductor,” kept away from towns, crossing forests, swamps, and mountain trails to escape detection by slave catchers. In total, the Underground Railroad is estimated to have taken about 100,000 enslaved people to freedom.

Growing confidence After successfully rescuing her brother, Harriet returns to Maryland to find her husband, only to discover he has married another woman. Instead, she leads a group of 11 people safely to Canada, her most daring mission yet.

First rescue Congress passes the Fugitive Slave Act, which punishes those helping enslaved people escape. Despite the risks, Harriet vows to return to Maryland to rescue her family. Using her knowledge of the swamps and forests, she leads her niece and her niece’s two children to safety.

1850

1851

This was the slogan of the National Association of Colored Women, which fought for women’s rights.

Home for the aged

LIFTING AS W E CLIMB

Women’s rights

Harriet donates land to open a home for elderly and poverty-stricken African Americans. She dies there of pneumonia in 1913, surrounded by friends and family.

Biting the bullet

Harriet becomes actively involved in the movement to give women the vote. She is finally granted an army pension in 1899.

Harriet undergoes brain surgery in an attempt to treat the head trauma she has suffered since childhood. She refuses an anesthetic, choosing instead to bite on a bullet, as Civil War soldiers had during their operations.

1890s

1898

1903–1913 33

Nursing career Early days Rebecca Davis is born in Delaware. She is raised by her aunt in Pennsylvania, who provides medical care for ill friends and neighbors. Rebecca develops an interest in caring for people.

Rebecca moves to Charlestown, Massachusetts. She marries Wyatt Lee, a formerly enslaved man. Rebecca spends eight years working as a nurse. The doctors she works with are so impressed with her knowledge and skills that they encourage her to enroll in medical school.

Education Rebecca works hard at school. She excels in mathematics.

c. 1840

1831

1852

Rebecca Lee Crumpler Rebecca Lee Crumpler (1831–1895) was the first African American woman to qualify as a doctor. She dedicated herself to treating women and children who lived in poverty. She treated patients regardless of their ability to pay, and often took no money for her work.

African American pioneers These trailblazing African Americans inspired future generations with their groundbreaking achievements in the 19th century. Alexander Twilight (1795–1857) Born in Vermont, Alexander Twilight is believed to have been the first African American to graduate from college. He went on to become principal of a school, and in 1836 became the first African American to serve in a US state legislature.

William Wells Brown (c. 1814–1884) William Wells Brown escaped enslavement at the age of 20. An activist and writer, he became famous for his powerful speeches arguing for an end to enslavement. His novel Clotel (1853) was the first by an African American to be published.

Sarah Jane Woodson Early (1825–1907) An educator and author, Sarah Jane Woodson Early was the first African American woman to teach at a university. She taught English and Latin, and also lectured widely on the importance of education for women.

Back to Boston Rebecca and Arthur move to Boston. She starts a medical clinic in the mainly African American neighborhood of Beacon Hill. She treats women and children even if they are not able to pay her for her work. The following year, she and Arthur have a daughter, Lizzie.

1869 34

Medical school

Racism

Graduation

Rebecca wins a scholarship to train as a doctor at New England Female Medical College in Boston. Only 300 of about 55,000 doctors in the US at this time are women, and none are African American women.

When Rebecca graduates, she becomes the first African American woman to earn a medical degree. She battles several misfortunes to get there, including losing her funding when the Civil War breaks out, and suffering the death of her husband from tuberculosis.

1860

1864

Move to Virginia

Though she is valued by her patients, Rebecca is often shunned by fellow doctors because of her ethnicity and gender. They sometimes refuse to supply medicine to her patients.

After the Civil War ends, Rebecca and Arthur move to Richmond, Virginia. She works for an organization that helps formerly enslaved people rebuild their lives after slavery. She treats people who would otherwise receive no medical care.

1865

1865

Marriage After graduating, Rebecca marries Arthur Crumpler, a man who escaped from enslavement. She starts a medical clinic in Boston, caring for poor African Americans.

1865

Death A Book of Medical Discourses Now living in Hyde Park, New York, Rebecca turns the journal notes she has kept during her years of medical practice into a book. A Book of Medical Discourses gives advice to women on how to care for themselves and their children.

1883

Long after retiring from practicing medicine, Rebecca dies in Fairview, Massachusetts. Despite the many obstacles placed in her way, she has achieved much in her career, and is an inspiration to many who came after her.

There are no confirmed portraits of Rebecca. This one is based on how medical workers of her time dressed.

1895

After a year of serving in the Navy—and with the Union emerging victorious—Lewis is given an honorable discharge, meaning he is allowed to return home. He returns to Boston to find work.

When Lewis is 10 years old, his father leaves his mother and their four children. Some years after, Lewis finishes school and goes to work as an office assistant for a prominent lawyer.

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When Lewis is 12, civil war breaks out between the northern and southern states of the US. When he reaches the age of 16, he enlists in the Navy, to fight for the Union (northern) forces.

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Garrett Morgan (1877–1963) Before African American inventor Garrett Morgan, traffic lights only signaled for “Stop” and “Go.” He developed the three-position system we still use today. He also created an early version of the gas mask.

Marie Van Brittan Brown (1922–1999) Feeling unsafe if she was ever home alone at night, African American Marie Van Brittan Brown created a home security system. It used a camera and peepholes, and allowed for safe recognition of visitors who came to her door.

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The work of Black inventors has often been ignored or forgotten. However, the modern world would be very different without the many innovations and contributions that Black inventors have given us.

Sarah Boone (1832–1904) African American inventor Sarah Boone patented and developed the ironing board in 1892. Her invention improved the quality of ironing, and is the origin of the product we still use today.

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An inventor, engineer, and writer, Lewis Howard Latimer was a key figure in the development of some of the most revolutionary inventions of the 19th century. Though the importance of his work is often overlooked, his contributions have changed the way people live today.

Af T te l e te r i nv elep e p A l e h o n nt i n g hon xa n e, S e d c the t o a e r G ra o t t i s h f i r s t w a p p s s i st h a m - b o r n o r k i n him g Be lic i nv L re q e w i s a t i o n f o n t h l l a s k s e n t o r u i re c re o r h e p a Le w d to ate is t is re c s t h e i n v e n e n t e i ve d ra t i o n . the win p at g s e nt fo r it.

Lewis Howard Latimer

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Carbon filament

1881

18 8

3

While working at the Electric Lighting Company, Lewis sees a way of improving American inventor (and Maxim’s rival) Thomas Edison’s light bulb. Lewis invents and patents the carbon filament, which allows the bulb to last longer than it did with the paper filament that Edison’s design used.

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African Americans and the US Civil War From 1861 to 1865, the US Civil War raged between Antietam The bloodiest single day of the war sees northern and southern states over the question some 23,000 soldiers dead, wounded, or missing after the Battle of Antietam. of slavery. Despite reluctance on both sides to The battle ends in a Union victory. call African American soldiers up, more than 200,000 eventually fought in the war. They hoped New law to gain their freedom, but almost a fifth of them The Union desperately needs more soldiers. African died in the fighting, never to return home. Americans have not been allowed to fight for the US Army, but Lincoln passes a new law, allowing enslaved people in southern states to work to support the Union’s cause.

Confederate states To protect their economies—which are based on slave labor—seven southern states leave the United States to create their own Confederate government, with Jefferson Davis as president. The Confederates see themselves as a separate nation. A month later, Abraham Lincoln becomes US president. He sets out to end what he saw as a rebellion.

y ruar Feb 861 1

First Battle of Bull Run The Union is defeated in the First Battle of Bull Run (also known as the Battle of Manassas) in Virginia. In August 1862, the Confederates win the Second Battle of Bull Run. The Union is so afraid of defeat that it prepares its capital, Washington, D.C., for attack.

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July 1 86 1

The war begins Lincoln refuses to agree to the Confederates’ demands to hand over power and property to them. Confederate forces attack Fort Sumter in South Carolina, and the Civil War begins. Four more states leave the United States (known as the Union during the Civil War) to join the Confederate states.

Napoleon Field Gun Named after the French emperor Napoleon III, this type of cannon was widely used in the Civil War. It could hit a target up to 5,250 ft (1,600 m) away and fire a cannonball at 1,440 ft (439 m) per second.

July 1 8 62

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Emancipation Proclamation Lincoln introduces the Emancipation Proclamation, an order to free all of the 3.5 million enslaved people in the Confederate states (though the Confederate states still considered them enslaved). It also states that African American soldiers can fight in the Union Army. This declaration marks a change in the Union’s reasons for fighting the war, from ending the rebellion to achieving the abolition of slavery.

Fort Wagner assault The 54th Massachusetts, a regiment of African American soldiers, leads an attack on the Confederate base Fort Wagner. Though the assault is unsuccessful, the bravery and skill of the African American soldiers impresses the Union military leaders. The assault leads to even more African Americans enlisting in the Army.

After an attempt to break through Union lines fails, Confederate commander Robert E. Lee realizes that the Confederates cannot win the war. He meets Union general Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, to surrender. Though the war is essentially over, some fighting continues.

Lincoln’s proclamation changes the Union Army. Huge numbers of African Americans, seeking to take part in a conflict that directly affects their lives, offer to fight. The Union creates the Bureau of Colored Troops to organize the coordination of new African American regiments (“colored” is a term for African Americans that is now outdated and offensive).

July 1 86 3

July 1863

April 1865

November 1863

Gettysburg Address

Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania proves to be a turning point of the war. The Union emerges victorious, and finally ends Confederate hopes of invading the Union states. It is the bloodiest multiday conflict in the history of the Civil War.

The Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution is passed, which abolishes slavery across the US, except as a punishment for crime. Though millions of African Americans were freed during the war, their personal liberty in the US is far from a settled issue.

Surrender meeting

African American troops

M ay 1 86 3

Thirteenth Amendment

President Lincoln delivers his most famous speech at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg. He declares the Civil War to be a struggle for freedom and equality for all Americans, including African Americans.

May 1865

April 1865

December 1865

Lincoln assassinated At a play in Washington, D.C., President Lincoln is shot by John Wilkes Booth, an actor hoping to avenge the Confederates. Lincoln dies the next morning.

War is over The rest of the Confederate armies give up the fight. Both sides agree to surrender terms, including the ending of slavery. New president Andrew Johnson declares the official end of the Civil War. On June 19, the last group of enslaved African Americans is told of their liberation—a date celebrated every year since as “Juneteenth.”

African Americans during the war African Americans performed a number of roles in both the Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War. In the Confederate Army, African American men were not allowed to fight or carry weapons – they worked only as laborers. After the Emancipation Proclamation, African American soldiers fought alongside white soldiers in the Union Army, and also had their own regiments, but were paid 30 percent less (they received equal pay after June 1864). African American seamen in the Union Navy were paid the same as their white counterparts. Though forbidden from signing up officially, many African American women contributed to the Union’s cause, working as nurses, scouts, and spies. A REGIMENT OF AFRICAN AMERICAN SOLDIERS

39

The 54th Massachusetts This detail is from the memorial to the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment in Boston. Formed in February 1863, the 54th Massachusetts was one of the first major American military units of African American soldiers to fight in the US Civil War. Its troops took part in many operations, including the attack on Fort Wagner. Roughly 178,000 Black soldiers served in approximately 175 regiments during the war, making up about 10 percent of the Union Army’s soldiers. Their skills, heroism, and determination were decisive factors in the Union’s eventual victory.

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Sarah Breedlove At a time when most African Americans faced discrimination and limited business opportunities, inventor and businessperson Sarah Breedlove (1867–1919) became rich developing and selling beauty products. She later shared much of her wealth, donating it to causes that empowered the African American community.

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Fighting for equality Members of the African American community fought for the same civil rights, access to education, and business opportunities that white Americans had. W. E. B. Du Bois (1868–1963) Author and activist W. E. B. Du Bois was one of the most important leaders in the fight for full civil rights for African Americans. He helped set up the NAACP, which remains the most important African American civil rights organization. Mary McLeod Bethune (1875–1955) An African American educator and campaigner, Mary McLeod Bethune opened a boarding school for Black girls. In time, it became a college offering degree-level courses. After women in the US won the right to vote in 1920, she strongly encouraged her students to register to vote. Annie Turnbo Malone (1869–1957) Businesswoman Annie Turnbo Malone became one of the first African American millionaires. Malone set up the Poro Company, which produced popular hair and beauty products for the African American community. She hired the young Sarah Breedlove as one of her door-to-door sales agents.

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This map shows the domination of European powers in Africa by the end of the 19th century. France and Britain colonized the largest areas of land across the continent. Only Liberia and Ethiopia held onto their independence.

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Zora Neale Hurston Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960) was one of the most significant African American writers of the 20th century. She was a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance – a flowering of African American culture in the 1920s focused on Harlem, New York City. Hurston travelled widely, documenting the stories and traditions of Black people across the US, the Caribbean, and Central America.

Tragedy strikes Zora is just 13 when her mother dies. Her father remarries and sends Zora away to boarding school. In time, he stops paying the school fees, and Zora is forced to leave. At the age of 16, she joins a theatre company as a maid, and tours with them across the US.

1891

1904

1917

Early life

Bending the truth

Zora is born in Notasulga, Alabama, but moves with the rest of her family to Eatonville, Florida, at the age of three.

At the age of 26, Zora goes back to high school in Baltimore, Maryland. To gain admission, she fakes her age, pretending to be 10 years younger than she is. She keeps to this deception for the rest of her life.

Inspiration and inspired Zora Neale Hurston’s work was partly inspired by her friends who were part of the Harlem Renaissance, and it has gone on to inspire artists long after her death.

University studies

Alain LeRoy Locke (1886–1954) The gifted scholar and teacher Alain LeRoy Locke was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. He brought together African American writers, musicians, and artists, and encouraged them to look to African culture for inspiration.

Southern travels

Langston Hughes (1902–1967) A talented poet, playwright, and novelist, Langston Hughes was a key voice in the Harlem Renaissance. His works celebrated African American culture, spirituality, and humour, and addressed issues such as racism and poverty. Hughes loved the African American musical genre jazz, and often used jazz rhythms in his poetry.

Travels to the Caribbean

Zora continues her studies at Howard University, Washington, D.C. She co-establishes The Hilltop, a student newspaper. She also has her first short story, “John Redding Goes to Sea”, published in a literary magazine.

Zora is given an award to research the rituals of voodoo (a West African religion) in Haiti, and obeah (spiritual healing) in Jamaica. She documents her findings in the book Tell My Horse.

1921

1927

1936

1932

Zora’s autobiography, Dust Tracks on a Road, is published. She gains praise for the quality of her writing. She wins the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for the book’s contribution to the understanding of race relations.

1937

1942

Harlem Renaissance

Literary classic

Zora earns a scholarship to study at Barnard College, New York City. She moves to Harlem, a vibrant, mainly African American neighbourhood which is the centre of an explosion of art and ideas called the Harlem Renaissance. She befriends the poet Langston Hughes and other rising stars. They launch a magazine called Fire!! in 1926.

Her second novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, is published. It becomes her most influential book, and many people today see it as a classic of the Harlem Renaissance.

Writing Zora adapts her folk tale research into a play, The Great Day, which features folk songs, dance, and pantomime. Two years later, her first novel, Jonah’s Gourd Vine, is published. Her work is well received, but does not give her mainstream success.

Death

Autobiography

Zora travels through the southern US states recording African American folk tales. She meets formerly enslaved person Cudjo Kazoola Lewis, the last survivor of the final slave ship to cross from Africa to the US. She writes a book based on their conversations.

1925

Zadie Smith (b.1975) English author Zadie Smith’s career took off with the publication of her first novel, White Teeth, in 2000. The novel is about how Britain treats people who have come from places it once colonized. It was a best-seller and won numerous awards. She has written of her love of Hurston’s work Their Eyes Were Watching God in particular.

When Zora dies, she is buried in an unmarked grave because there is no money for a headstone. Much later, in 1973, the novelist Alice Walker locates Zora’s grave and adds a headstone with the words “Zora Neale Hurston: A Genius of the South”.

1950s

1960

Financial struggles Zora finds it difficult to get her work published. She takes a job as a substitute teacher in a school, and writes occasional articles for newspapers. She is often underpaid because of her race and gender, and struggles with debt and poverty.

“Mama [told us] to ‘jump at de sun’. We might not land on the sun, but at least we would get off the ground.” Zora Neale Hurston, Dust Tracks on a Road (1942)

47

48

King Menelik II is the ruler of Shewa, a central region of Ethiopia, a country in East Africa. In 1883, he marries Taytu Betul. The daughter of an aristocratic family in northern Ethiopia, Taytu is a confident scholar, poet, musician, and chess player. She has strong political ideas, including a desire to resist the spread of European power in Africa. In 1887, she establishes and names the city of Addis Ababa (meaning “new flower”), which becomes Ethiopia’s capital city. Menelik gradually brings more territory under his rule, and is proclaimed emperor of Ethiopia in 1889. Almost immediately, he signs the Treaty

Ethiopia and Italy

For centuries, European countries exploited the natural resources of the African continent. They tended to stay in the coastal areas, though, and rarely ventured inland because they lacked decent maps and reliable ways of getting there. Things began to change in the 19th century, when technological and medical advances in Europe made it easier to deal with the challenges of the African continent. From 1881, European countries rushed to seize large parts of the continent for themselves, a period historians call the “Scramble for Africa.” In fewer than 50 years, European countries took 90 percent of the continent. The European powers ruled the African lands they seized as colonies.

The Scramble for Africa

The war begins when Italy invades Ethiopia from the north. The Italians initially make a lot of progress. They get deep into Ethiopian territory before the Ethiopians are able to turn them back. As the war rages, Taytu becomes one of the key people on the

Leading her people

When the Ethiopians discover the deception, Taytu’s worries about European control are confirmed. The relationship between the two countries begins to fall apart. According to some sources, Italy tries to get Menelik and Taytu to accept the treaty. When they refuse, Italy threatens to invade. Knowing that their country’s independence is at stake, Menelik and Taytu stand their ground. In 1895, as war looms, the couple call their people together from across the country. Ethiopians from every tribe, culture, and community gather together to form the army. Though they have inferior weapons to the Italians, their army of 100,000 is larger, and more determined, than Italy expected.

War looms

of Wichale with Italy. In it, the emperor agrees not to attack Italian-ruled territories to the north of Ethiopia (in modern-day Eritrea). However, the Italian version of the treaty gives Italy control over Ethiopia, something that is not in the version in Amharic, Menelik and Taytu’s language.

The final event of the war takes place at the Battle of Adwa on March 1, 1896. With supplies running low for both sides, the Italians prepare a surprise attack by marching over the mountain tracks of Adwa. They soon become separated and disorganized. When the Ethiopians realize the Italians are attacking, they quickly prepare themselves. Knowing the land better than their enemies, they are able to take up better positions and expose flaws in the Italian army’s tactics. Taytu personally leads a battalion of 5,000 infantry and 600 cavalry to the battlefront. She instructs more than 12,000 women in the camps to fill jugs of water for the soldiers, whom she inspires to fight until the end. It takes just a few hours for Taytu and Menelik’s forces to destroy the Italian invasion.

The Battle of Adwa

Ethiopian side. Her ability to organize the Ethiopian forces and strategize during battles is a huge asset. She also uses spies to gain information about the Italian forces. During one part of the war, the Italians occupy a secure fort at Mekelle. Taytu gets them to surrender by surrounding the fort and cutting off its water supply—a clever plan that avoids any loss of life on either side.

As European countries greedily seized huge parts of Africa, Ethiopia was one of just two African countries that were able to resist. Taytu Betul (1851–1918), the empress of Ethiopia, helped give her nation the hope and strategy it needed to overcome much better-supplied Italian armies. Her story, and in particular her brave and intelligent leadership during the war with Italy, have been celebrated by Ethiopians ever since.

The warrior empress who fought off colonial invasion

TAYTU BETUL

The Battle of Adwa ends the war. In a new peace treaty, Italy accepts it does not control Ethiopia. Taytu is celebrated as a hero of the conflict. Her leadership and bravery were crucial at a time when her country perhaps faced its end. As a result, Ethiopia becomes one of two African countries to successfully resist colonization by a European power. Menelik suffers a stroke in 1909, and Taytu takes over as ruler for a short while. Menelik dies in 1913, and Taytu follows him in 1918.

Special empress

The Battle of Adwa

This painting (by an anonymous artist) of the Battle of Adwa hangs in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Taytu Betul and Menelik II look on from horseback as the Ethiopian and Italian armies clash in the field.

Young performerine

, Jo se ph Bo rn into pove rty , M iss ou ri. uis Lo . grows up in St a as te en ag er Sh e leave s ho m e as a street ing liv an d ea rn s a ag e of 16, pe rfo rm er. By th e th e US wi th ed ur to s Jo se ph ine ha nd Ba (a grou p Th e Jo ne s Fa m ily er s) an d Th e rm rfo of street pe n all -B lac k Di xie Step pe rs (a p) . ou gr g lin trave

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1922

1906

Protest

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in harmon In o rd e r to y sh of life c a n liv ow th at p e o p le fro m a e 12 c h ild re n in h a rm o ny, J o s e p h in ll wa lks fro ea J a pa n , C o lo m a ro u n d th e wo rl d , in d o pts c lu d in g m b ia , a n d C C oast). Th ey live w it h ôte d ’Ivo ire (I vo ry h e r in h e r c h (c o u ntr y h â s o u thwe st o u s e ) in th e D o rd o g n te a u Fra n c e. S h e in e c a lls h c h ild re n th e “Ra in b ow e r ad o pte d Tri b e.”

Though b J o s e p h in e as e d in Fra n c e, goe in th e U S. T s o n s eve ra l to u rs h (p rote sts a e re, sh e b oyc otts g c lu b s a n d c a in st) s e g re g ate d o n c e rt ve n refu s e s to u e s. S h e p e rf sto p B lac k o rm in ve n u e s th at p ti c kets , o r th e o p le fro m b u y in g a h o ld e rs aw t tu rn B lac k ti c ketay. S h e reti re s th e stag e in 19 5 6 b u t c o fro m nti n to p e rfo rm o c c asi o n a u e s lly.

1953 1 9 51 1963 1 973 Beyoncé (b.1981) American singer, songwriter, and actor Beyoncé Knowles led the group Destiny’s Child before starting a solo career. A string of successful albums and tours has followed. Beyoncé celebrated what would have been Baker’s 100th birthday by performing live in an outfit modeled on one of Baker’s famous dresses.

50

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how Joseph in e c e le 50 b ra a p p e a ra ye a rs s in c e h e te s r n c e in P a r is by p fi rst in a rev u e r fo r m in e s h ow Th e ate r in Pa r is at th e B o b in o g . S h e d ie th e s h s 2 0,0 0 0 ow ’s r u n . M o re d u r in g p e o p le th an in P re s p e c ts a n d c e le a r is pay th e ir b rate h e r li fe.

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1924

Movie success

rm an ce s Jo se ph ine’s pe rfo les in th e cata pu lt he r into ro e is th e Sh . try us ind Fren ch film n to sta r in ica er Am an ric Af first Si re n of ing lud inc , m ajo r m ov ies t film en sil a ), th e Trop ics (1927 g gir l un yo a of ry te llin g th e sto ), th e 34 (19 u in love, an d Zo u Zo of m urde r. d se cu ac ta le of a m an

A SC EN E FR OM SI RE N OF TH E ) TROP IC S (1927

1926

1925

Back in Am

erica J o s e p h in e retu rn s to th p e rfo rm w it e U S to h (a m u si c a n th e Z ie g fe ld Fo lli e s d dance ac t) . Th o u g h sh e is a h u ge fi n d s life d if sta r in Eu ro p e, sh e fi c u lt in th e U S d u e to rac is m . W h ile re si sts rac ia in th e U S, sh e l s e g re g ati (e nfo rc e d s on e by rac e ) by pa rati o n of p e o p le refu si n g to p e rfo rm fo r a u d ie n c e s in th s e g re g ate d e ate rs w it h s e ati n g . Super

st a r Ac ti n g in fi lm s in c lu d in g P ri n c e ss Ta m Ta m (1 93 b e c o m e s o 5 ), J o s e p h in e n fa m o u s B la e of th e m o st Eu ro p e. B u c k su p e rsta rs in t d u ri B lac k ac to n g th is p e ri o d c h o ic e s in rs h ave lim ite d th e a n d m a ny o ro le s th ey p lay, f th offe re d p o rt e ro le s sh e is ste re oty p e ray n e g ati ve s of B lac k p e o p le.

S e c ret a g

e nt W h ile o n to ur du wo rks as a ri n g Wo rl d Wa r II, J o s e p h in e a b o u t G e rm spy. S h e pass e s o n s e c re an m u si c s c o re tro o p m ove m e nts , w ri ts tte s, (a nti -N a zi m to th e Fre n c h Re si sta n o n n J o s e p h in e ove m e nt) . Afte r th e w c e b e c o m e s th a r, e fi rst A m e wo m a n to ri c a n g ove rn m e n b e h o n o re d by th e F re n c h t fo r h e r ac ti o n s d u ri n g th e wa r. 1939

1936

1935

Josephine Baker One of the most well-known African American entertainers, Josephine Baker (1906–1975) gained international fame through dancing, singing, and acting in Europe. Though she faced discrimination in both the US and Europe, Josephine used her fame to fight prejudice, and even worked as a spy during World War II. 51

Desmond Tutu (b. 1931) A South African religious leader, activist, and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Desmond Tutu used nonviolent methods to campaign against apartheid. He coined the term “Rainbow Nation” in reference to post-apartheid South Africa, which was to be for people of every color and ethnicity.

1918

1934

1948

1952

1961

1961

Mvezo

Apartheid

In disguise

Taking up arms

Rolihlahla Mandela is born in Mvezo, a small village in eastern South Africa, and spends his boyhood herding cattle. His teacher gives him the English name “Nelson.”

The government begins the apartheid (“separateness”) policy. These are a series of racist laws that discriminate against Black South Africans, who make up the vast majority of the population.

Disguising himself as a chauffeur to avoid the police, Nelson drives around the country holding secret meetings and arranging for the ANC to strike.

The government makes it impossible to peacefully protest against apartheid. Nelson helps set up a resistance group. He is arrested and imprisoned, and then sentenced to life in prison for further crimes in 1964.

52

Education

Arrest

Nelson attends a missionary school. In defiance of his headmaster’s teaching of the superiority of British culture and government, he grows interested in African history and politics.

Nelson becomes one of the leaders of the ANC (African National Congress) and the anti-apartheid cause, speaking at rallies to tens of thousands of people. He is arrested and put in prison for a short time.

1964

Imprisonment Prison conditions are terrible. Nelson sleeps on a straw mat and carries out hard physical labor. Global opposition to Nelson’s imprisonment grows as many see him as an inspirational figure who stands against ingrained racist policies.

Nelson Mandela A revolutionary activist, Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) led the movement against apartheid—racist laws that discriminated against Black South Africans. His struggle for equality for Black South Africans resulted in him spending 27 years in prison, but when he was freed, he became South Africa’s first ever Black head of state.

Mandela’s cell Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in jail imprisoned at Robben Island, off the coast of Cape Town in South Africa. This photo was taken when he revisited his old cell in 1994, the year he became president of the country.

1989

1994

1995

Election

Truth and Reconciliation

A multiracial general election is held— the first of its kind in South Africa. The ANC are victorious and Nelson becomes president—a result unthinkable during apartheid.

The end of apartheid F.W. de Klerk comes to power in 1989 and ends the policy of apartheid. He also quashes Nelson’s sentence, freeing him in February 1990. Nelson is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

1996

1999

2013

Retirement

As president, Nelson aims to bring peace to his nation. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission is set up so that both perpetrators and victims under the apartheid era can meet and talk openly. Nelson meets with, and forgives, senior apartheid-era politicians.

After retiring, Nelson spends much of his time working on rural development, school construction, and bringing awareness to the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Welfare Nelson’s government increases welfare spending to assist poor citizens, including grants for disability and child maintenance. Nelson donates a third of his monthly wage to help disadvantaged children.

Death Nelson passes away at the age of 95. Three days after his death, South Africa dedicates a national day to mourn the leader referred to as “the Father of the Nation.”

53

Maya Angelou

1961

“If the heart of Africa remained elusive, my search for it had brought me closer to understanding myself and other human beings.”

Acclaimed writer and poet Maya Angelou (1928–2014) was one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. She is best known for I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, her vivid account of her childhood in the southern US. She was also a poet, dramatist, actor, and an activist for civil rights for African Americans.

All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes (1986) Maya and her son travel to Egypt with South African civil rights activist Vusumzi Make. The following year, Maya and her son move to Ghana, where she lives for three years. She involves herself fully in African culture and politics.

1928

“I was born in St. Louis but lived there just for a few minutes in my life.”

Late 1950s

“A Black person grows up in this country … knowing that racism will be as familiar as salt to the tongue.”

Interview with CNN (2011) Maya is born Marguerite Annie Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri. Her parents separate when she is three. Maya and her brother Bailey are sent to live with their grandmother in Arkansas. Bailey nicknames Marguerite “Maya.”

Interview for the American Academy of Achievement (1997) Maya travels to New York. She meets African American authors and joins The Harlem Writers Guild (who help African American writers develop their skills). She hears civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., speak. Maya begins to campaign for justice for African American people.

1931

“It was awful to be Negro and have no control over my life.”

1945

“All my work, my life, everything is about survival … one must not be defeated.”

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1970) In Arkansas, Maya faces racial discrimination and prejudice for the first time. She finds this extremely difficult to deal with.

1935

“In times of strife and extreme stress, I was likely to retreat to mutism.”

Conversations with Maya Angelou (1989) At 17, Maya gives birth to her son Clyde “Guy” Johnson. She is a single parent. Maya and Guy move to San Diego, where she works as a waitress and dancer. She marries a man named Tosh Angelos in 1951, and she changes her surname to Angelou. Their relationship ends after three years.

Interview with Smithsonian Magazine (2003) Maya returns briefly to her mother in St. Louis. While there, she is assaulted by her mother’s boyfriend. Maya tells people what he did. When her mother’s boyfriend is later killed, Maya believes her words have caused his death, and she stops speaking (becomes mute). She is mute for the next five years.

1941

“Her voice slid in and curved down through and over the words. She was nearly singing.” Describing her teacher reading from Charles Dickens in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1970) Maya lives with her grandmother. A teacher, Mrs. Flowers, helps her talk again and inspires a love of literature. Aged 14, she moves to California, living once more with her mother. She studies dance and drama.

54

1944

“He asked me, ‘Why do you want the job?’ I said ‘I like the uniforms … and I like people.’ And so I got the job.” Interview with Oprah Winfrey (May 2013) Maya becomes the first female African American cable car conductor in San Francisco. Her mother tells her that, because she is Black, she will have to work much harder than her colleagues in order to keep her job.

1969

“I’ve always written. There’s a journal which I kept from about nine years old.” Interview with Smithsonian Magazine (2003) Urged on by friends, Maya turns her memories into a book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. It is a vivid account of an African American childhood. The novel is wildly successful.

1978

“You may trod me in the very dirt, But still, like dust, I’ll rise.” And Still I Rise (1978) Maya’s third volume of poetry, And Still I Rise, is published. It contains some of her best-loved lines and most famous poems.

1993

“Give birth again, to the dream.” From “On the Pulse of Morning” (1993) She becomes a global icon when she delivers her poem “On the Pulse of Morning” at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton. It speaks about America, and Maya’s feelings on the good and bad aspects of American life.

2014

“I’ll probably be writing when the Lord says, ‘Maya, Maya Angelou, it’s time.’” Interview with Time magazine (2013) Maya dies at the age of 86. She had been writing right up until her death. Tributes pour in from a wide array of people—from media stars, such as Oprah Winfrey, to US presidents, including Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

The Civil Rights Movement The Civil War brought an end to slavery, but the African American struggle for equal rights was only just beginning. In many parts of the country, racism and unequal treatment for Black people were supported by law. During the 1950s and 1960s, people joined together as the Civil Rights Movement to fight for equality.

February– July 19

60

D IN E R S P R OT E Greensboro sit-

ST

in

Bl ac k co lle ge stu de nt Gree ns bo ro, No rth s in Ca ro lin a, ta ke th eir se ats at a wh ite -o nly Woo lwor th’s lun ch co unte r. So on , pe ac ef ul “si t-i n” pr otests like th is on e ta ke place all over th e so ut h.

1957 May 17, 1954

D IN T E G R AT E SCHOOLS Brown vs. cation Board of Edu

em enta ry A n al l-w hi te el , Kan sas, ka pe To in sc ho ol -o ld Afr ic an re je cts 8-ye ar ent Li nd a A m er ic an st ud th er fil es a fa r B row n, so he se en ds up in lawsu it. Th e ca C ou rt , e em th e U S Su pr at th s de ci de w hi ch arat in g) ep (s g se greg at in te ch ild re n B lack an d w hi is s ol ho in pu bl ic sc l. na io ut tit ns un co

December 1, 1955

ROSA PARKS ARRESTED Bus boycott

Polic e arre st Ros a Parks in Montgom ery, Alabama , afte r she refu ses to give up her bus seat to a white man . A youn g Dr. Mar tin Luth er King , Jr. lead s Blac k tow nspe ople in a year-lon g bus boycott befo re the Sup rem e Cou rt rule s seg regation on buse s is illeg al.

L aw change September 3 Little Rock Nine

e th e new ru les . So me state s ign or Am er ica n hig h W he n nin e Af ric an ro ll in an all -w hite en sc ho ol stu de nts , Ar ka ns as , th e sc ho ol in Little Ro ck tio na l Gu ard to Na e th gove rn or ca lls e US gove rn me nt sto p th em . Late r, th rt th e Little Ro ck co es to se nd s tro op s Ni ne to sc ho ol.

ber 1961

FREEDOM RIDERS Campaigners

attacked

ents te co lle ge st ud s B lack an d w hi ht rig l vi ci r fo t or sh ow th ei r su pp s to geth er in se by rid in g on bu s. W he n th es e ea ar ed at eg gr se ith ers” are m et w “Fre ed om R id ow n sh e ar os ot vi ol en ce, th e ph e. arou nd th e gl ob

September 9 1957 Civil Rights Act of

nt re sp on ds to Th e US gove rn me nt wi th th e th e grow ing move me , the first civil 57 19 of t Civil Rights Ac an 80 ye ars. rig hts law in mo re th to protec t th e lps he Th e leg isl ati on an Am er ica ns votin g rig hts of Af ric for ch an ge. t or pp an d sig na ls su

56

May–Decem

M a rc h

1963

Selma

R IO T S May 11 Birmingham riots

A protest foll ow ing a nig ht of bom bin gs targeted at civ il rights leaders tur ns into 8 days of riots in Bir min gha m, Ala bam a. Loc al pol ice res pon d vio len tly, stu nni ng the cou ntr y. Me dia coverage of the riots spa rks a nat ion al debate.

7–25, 1 9

M a rc h

1964 BALLOT OR BULL ET?

Equal rights

April 3 Malcolm X gives speech

July 2 Civil Rights Act of 1964

Activist and religious leader Malcolm X gives a fiery speech in which he promote s change by any means necessa ry, whethe r it’s the ballot box or the bullet. Rivals assassi nate him in 1965.

August 28

65

in

Alabam W it h M a a r ti n Lu th th o u s a n d s of m e r K in g , J r. , 5 0 m il e a rc h e rs s A la ba m (80 k m ) fro m wa lk S a state c a to M o ntg o m e lm a , e p to th e p ita l. Th e m a rc r y, th e a h R ig hts s s in g of th e V le ad s Ac t in A o u g u st 1 ti n g 965.

After a summe r of protests , the US governm ent propose s legislati on to end segregation in public places and give everyon e equal access to jobs regardle ss of a person’s race, color, or religion. The act is signed into law by Preside nt Lyndon B. Johnso n.

“I have a dream”

1968

VIOLENCE April 4 Luther King, Jr. shot

At the end of a ma rch atte nde d by 250,00 0 peo ple in Washi ngton, D.C., civ il rights leader Ma rtin Lut her Kin g, Jr. del ive rs his fam ous spe ech fro m the ste ps of the Lin col n Me mo rial . Kin g’s powerf ul wo rds con vin ce ma ny Am eric ans that now is the tim e for cha nge.

A snip er ass ass inates Ma rtin Lut her Kin g, Jr. in Me mp his, Ten nes see. Sho ck spread s qui ckly, and riots bre ak out in severa l US citie s. Pre ssu re is put on Co ngress to pas s the leg islation that Kin g fou ght for.

FREEDOM SUMMER June Register to vote

EQ UA L AC CE SS

In Mississ ippi, thousan ds of voluntee rs work togethe r to register as many African America n voters as possible. The voluntee rs face harassm ent and intimidation.

April 11 Civil Rights Act of 1968

Co ngress sign s this act to give eve ryo ne fair and equ al acc ess to hou sing . The imp act of civi l rights leg islation like this is hug e, but the ma rch for equ ality continu es.

Selma The march in Alabama from Selma to Montgomery was organized to draw attention to the difficulties African Americans faced when registering to vote. Although African Americans had the right to vote, state officials tried to stop them from registering. Registration offices were rarely open, and officials forced Black people to complete unnecessary literacy tests, fill in long forms, and pay fees.

57

1946 gs n c h i n a re y L d r ans e’s Fo m e r ic

1 92 9

al Speci e naam amed r ti n is n h is

Moor ung Afric an Ahite mob in

,M f At b ir th in g , in h o n o r o a nta , tl K A l e in a r M ic h asto e, h u rc h p h ae l, J r. , is fi v c a r, e ic n M fath w n o e . Wh th h is G e o rg ia e r c h a n g e s b o “M a r ti n to th e fa am h is s o n’s n c e ntu r y a n d h is fte r th e 1 6 th - m e r. r a ” Lu th e r, n re li g io u s refo a m r Ge

Civil rights The ideas behind the US Civil Rights Movement were around for a while, but the movement really took hold in the mid1950s. Many people fought for African American rights, and to bring about equality.

58

BRIG Fr

194

HT ST

4

t o w Fo u r y d e re d by a ate, a n eve n t s d r mur e o ’s h o m o re’s F o M a r t in as t h e M o e s a lette r t . n r w k n o . M a r t in w it n ews pa p e r s in g s u la r Ly n c h ’s m o st p o p e m p h as ize a in t t e r r n a a “ la t A tte r, M r ic a n s In h is le f r ic a n A m e ic r ig hts of A t a tha t h in g eb s d to t h n s” — s o m e . le it t n e e m a n c it iz ie d t h e A m e r ic e ate d ly d e n re p

om an e arl ta d e b l e n t fo r y a g e , M at i n g. H public s artin d C s t u d o l l e g e e e n ro l p e a k i n i s p l a y s a ls a g e a b a nt at t h s a n e a at M o r a n d r che e e l y h a ous lor o ge o adm on e G o d to st u d y f a r t s d f 1 5 . H e i s s i o n e r a t e g h n c r e d e e olog yo u i ve s e an t h re l i g y t h e , h e oft i o u s b e (t h e st d g o e s disc u en f l ie d fa m r i m i n a e e l s h f ) . D u r i y o f n ily a n d f t i o n t h a u m i l i ate g h i s o n a r i e n d s t h e a n d by dh d a i l y ex p e bas rienc is is. e

Septima Poinsette Clark (1898–1987) A civil rights activist, Septima Poinsette Clark was instrumental in founding nearly 1,000 citizenship schools, which contributed to helping African Americans register to vote.

UDEN

T

194 8

Followi his fathng er

M a rt in d e c id b e c o m e a e s h e wa nts to C h ri sti a n m a n d d e live in iste r rs fro m th e p h is fi rst s e rm o n u lp it of h is fath e r’s c h u rc h , a c o n g re g a g e d 18 . Th e ti o n vote s to m a ke h im a m in is te r a n d h e is o rd a in e d a n as s o c ia , b e c o m in g te m in iste r.

Shirley Chisholm (1924–2005) Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman to be elected to the US Congress. She campaigned for racial and gender equality.

Malcolm X (1925–1965) Like Martin Luther King, Jr., African American activist Malcolm X supported Black Americans’ efforts to empower themselves, but didn’t believe in the racial integration that King wanted.

1953

MARRIAGE

Early in 1952, Marti n is introd uced to Coretta Scott . Two weeks later, he write s to his moth er that he has “met his wife.” A year later, Coretta and Marti n marry, with his fathe r cond ucting the servic e.

1955

Rosa Parks

An Africa n Amer ican woma n, Rosa Parks , is arrested in Montgome ry, Alaba ma, for break ing the law by refus ing to give up her seat on a bus for a white man. In respo nse, Marti n organ izes a year- long boyc ott of the city’s buse s. It ends when the US Supre me Cour t rules that segre gatio n laws are illega l.

1960

1 9 57 Peacef u l p rot e Fo ll o

w in g st b oyc ott th e s u c c e s s o , M a rt in f th e b u s trave ls a U S, fi g h ro u ti n g p e ac efu fo r c iv il ri g hts n d th e th ro l p rote st. H e is n o u g h n ati o n’s Afr ic a n fo re m o st s p e a w th e Am ke e sta b li s e ri c a n ri g hts . H r fo r h th e S o e u th e rn C h h e lp s Le ad e rs ri h sti a n ip C o nfe re o rg a n iza n c e, ti e q u a li ty o n wo rk in g to a a n c h ieve fo r Afr in a ll a re ic a n A m e ri c a n s a s of U S li fe.

Priasrt inoa n n o nv io le nt

sp M a rt in ta ke o n p rote st in w h ic h ati g re g e a nti -s rs o c c u py e r p rote sto h e a n d oth Atl a nta d e pa rt m e nt d , a s e g re g ate e to le ave. As a re su lt s fu to d re e d c n n a te re n se sto e ste d . H e is M a rt in is a rr nth s of h a rd la b o r o fo u r m in p ri s o n .

1963

” M A E R D A E V A “I H prison, Martin writes his

W h ile in a m J a il, ” in m B ir m in g h “Lette r Fro efe n d s n o nv io le nt w h ic h h e d in st rac is m . W h e n aga “I H ave a re si sta n c e d e live rs h is p e o p le e h , d e s a re le 0,0 0 0 e e c h to 2 5 ri a l in D re a m” sp o m e M ln o at th e L in c h e re h e w .— n , D.C Wash in g to r a b ette r c a lls fo s ll A m e ri c a n fu tu re fo r a g re g ati o n . e s by e n d in g

July 1964 Civil Rights Act

Th e Ci vil Ri ghts M ovem ent en joys a hu ge vic to ry wh en Ri ghts Ac t is sig ne th e Ci vil d into law by Pres ide nt Ly nd on B. Jo hn so n. It m akes any kin d of dis cr im inatio n or se greg at ion on th e basis of race ille ga l.

Oct 1964 Nobel Peace Pri ze

Tim e m ag az ine na m es M ar tin “M an of th e Ye ar.” He is als o awarde d th e No be l Pe ac e Pr ize fo r his re sista nc e ag preju dic e in th e US ain st racia l . At 35 , M ar tin is th e yo un ge st pe rs on at th e tim e to have re ce ive d th e award.

Martin Luther King, Jr. An activist and a Christian minister, Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–1968) was one of the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, which campaigned for the rights of African Americans. A believer in nonviolent protest, his work helped tear down racial segregation (separation), then a part of the law, and inspire generations of activists seeking a fairer and more equal society.

1967 stice Economic ju

a m as s s hi s pl an s fo r M ar tin reve al op le’s Pe or ed th e Po protest. N am e m ovem ent is C am pa ig n, th om ic in g ab ou t ec on y od inte nd ed to br yb er ev at th ea si c ju st ic e: th e id ba e th ce ss to sh ou ld have ac ed to live. Thi s th in gs th ey ne e pe op le of al l cl ud protest w ill in e U S. om ac ro ss th fr e lif of ks wal

1968

ATseIOe thNe AStinSdoAesSSnoIN t live to

M ar livers a sp ee ch protest. H e de ee n to th e ca lle d “I’ ve B d, he Toward th e en M ou ntai ntop.” ss ib ili ty of hi s po ta lks of th e h as a re su lt of untim el y de at t raci al is su es . ou ab ot sp ea ki ng ou t tin is fata lly sh ar M y, da The next in . by an as sass

“Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.” Martin Luther King, Jr. “I Have a Dream” speech (1963)

The “I Have a Dream” speech In just 17 minutes, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speech at The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom eloquently explained what the Civil Rights Movement was about, and the kind of change it wanted. With the repeated refrain of “I have a dream…” he gave all Americans—not just those within the Civil Rights Movement—a glimpse of a hopeful future where people will “not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” His words on August 28, 1963—heard by 250,000 people at the march and by many hundreds of thousands more on TV—have continued to inspire generations of people around the world.

60

Nina Simone African American musician, songwriter, and activist Nina Simone (1933–2003) enchanted generations with her talent. She also raised awareness about, and campaigned for, civil rights for African Americans, often using her music to explore the realities of life for African Americans of her era.

“How can you be an artist and not reflect the times?” Nina Simone, from an interview (1960s)

Heartbreak

Early protest After years of practice, Eunice is due to perform her first classical recital, but her parents are forced to give up their seats to white audience members. Displaying an early sign of her stance against racial segregation and inequality, Eunice refuses to perform until her parents are allowed to sit at the front.

A musical talent Eunice Kathleen Waymon is born in North Carolina, US. She learns to play the piano at an early age, and it soon becomes clear that she has a talent for the instrument. She begins to play the piano regularly during church services.

Eunice auditions for another scholarship to continue her musical education. Despite a great audition, her application to the Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia, is rejected. Eunice feels certain that she is rejected because she is Black. While some argue that this is not the case, she is never given a clear reason why she is not accepted.

Classical music Word of Eunice’s talent spreads. She meets a pianist called Muriel Mazzanovich. Mazzanovich begins teaching Eunice, focussing on the music of classical pianists such as Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven.

Musical dream Realizing her talent, Eunice’s local community in North Carolina contribute to a fund to pay for her education. After high school, Eunice receives a one-year scholarship to study music at the famous Juilliard School of Music in New York. She is one of the first Black female artists to attend Juilliard.

1933 c.1939 1945 1950

62

1951

Musical pioneers In their own unique way, each of these artists changed the sound of music and influenced the development of new types of music.

Ella Fitzgerald (1917–1996) An African American singer, Fitzgerald was famous for using her voice to imitate instruments, known as scat singing. She was known as the “Queen of Jazz”, a music genre pioneered by African Americans.

Billie Holiday (1915–1959) African American Billie Holiday’s songs were crucial in the growth of jazz music. Her most famous song “Strange Fruit” is considered one of the first protest songs of the Civil Rights Movement.

Aretha Franklin (1942–2018) A gifted pianist and singer, African American Franklin recorded her first album aged 14. She blended genres of music and was known as the “Queen of Soul”, another music genre pioneered by African Americans.

Rally

Musical change

NINA PERFORMING IN ALABAMA IN AUGUST 1963

Many of her early records are about love, but when four Black schoolgirls are killed in a racially motivated bombing in Alabama, Nina is furious. The tragedy leads to a change in Nina’s music as she brings her experiences as an African American into her music.

After the assassination of many of the US Civil Rights Movement leaders, the momentum and energy of the movement changes. Nina decides to leave the US for Barbados, and spends several years living in countries such as Liberia, Switzerland, and France.

1970 1965

1964 1963

In the later years of her life, close friends help Nina get her life and career back on track. Nina tours the world, giving some amazing performances. She dies from cancer at home in France.

Leaving America

Political awareness

A rising star

Emotional distress Nina’s career takes a huge toll on her mental health. She is diagnosed with bipolar disorder – which causes big mood swings in sufferers, something Nina struggles with in both her personal life and while performing.

An icon

Nina channels her anger over the assassination of the civil rights activist Medgar Evers into some of her most political songs. Her music is banned in some southern states, but Nina continues to use her music to raise awareness of the Civil Rights Movement.

Determined to pursue a music career, Eunice gets a job singing and playing piano at a bar in New Jersey. She believes her family will not approve of this, so she adopts the name “Nina Simone” to keep it a secret. Her audience grows, which leads to a record deal in 1957. One of her first recordings is her version of the song “I Loves You, Porgy” (1958). It becomes a hit.

1954

Nina regularly speaks and performs at civil rights meetings and rallies. Some of the largest are the Selma to Montgomery marches in Alabama, when about 25,000 people walk 50 miles (80 km) to highlight unjust obstructions to African American voting rights. Nina is one of the many performers to inspire protestors to continue marching.

c.1980s

2003

1938

1961

1948

Early years Ellen is born in Monrovia, Liberia. Her father, the son of a Gola chief, is the first indigenous Liberian to take a seat in the country’s parliament.

Moving around Ellen and James move to the US. She earns a degree in accounting. They return to Liberia two years later, and Ellen pursues a career with the Treasury Department of Liberia. She divorces her husband after suffering abuse from him.

Finance She begins studying at the College of West Africa, in Monrovia. Ellen marries James Sirleaf in 1955. They will have four sons together.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf speaking at the 2008 United Methodist General Conference in Texas.

1969

Further education Ellen returns to the US to complete her education. She earns a degree in economics from the University of Colorado. In 1971, she obtains a Master’s degree in public administration—the study of how governments make their policies work—from Harvard University.

1972

1980

Minister of Finance Ellen moves back to Liberia. She becomes Assistant Minister of Finance under President William Tolbert. In 1979, she rises to the position of Minister of Finance.

1985

1997

2005

2018

2011

Arrest, prison, and exile

Becoming president

Stepping down

Ellen returns to Liberia and runs for the senate. She openly criticizes the government, which leads to her arrest and a term of nine months in prison. After her release, she leaves the country again. During her 12-year exile, she works for the World Bank and other financial institutions. A bloody civil war breaks out in Liberia in 1989.

Ellen runs in the 2005 election against famous soccer player George Weah. She wins the election. Early on in her term she begins to work on sorting out the country’s debt problems.

Ellen steps down after winning two more terms as president. She continues to provide support to women who want to have a career in politics.

Military coup

Presidential campaign

President Tolbert is overthrown and killed in a violent military coup (seizure of power) led by Samuel Doe. Ellen is put under house arrest. She is one of just four ministers of Tolbert’s government to not be murdered. She flees to the US after her release.

The first civil war in Liberia ends in 1996. Ellen returns and runs for president against Charles Taylor. Taylor wins and his government charges Ellen for treason (betraying the country), which forces her back into exile.

Nobel Peace Prize Ellen is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. She is praised for her work to bring the period of war in Liberia to an end, and for her campaign to promote the safety of women throughout Africa.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf The first woman to become a head of state in Africa, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (b. 1938) was the president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018. As president, she worked to improve the lives of all Liberians. She jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 for promoting peace, and improving women’s rights in Liberia.

National icons Just like Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, these politicians overcame difficult circumstances in leading their nations. As a result, they have all become national icons.

Joseph Jenkins Roberts (1809–1876) The first president of Liberia, US-born Roberts was also the first person of African descent to rule his country. After campaigning for Liberian independence, he sought foreign recognition for the country.

Julius Nyerere (1922–1999) Tanzanian anti-colonial activist and politician Julius Nyerere became president of the country after it gained its independence from Britain in 1961. His main achievement was leading the country through the early years of independence without violence or racial divisions.

Fatoumata Tambajang (b.1949) Gambian activist and politician Fatoumata Tambajang has held a number of roles in the Gambian government. She has been the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, and Minister of Women’s Affairs. She was made vice president of the country in 2017.

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Fela Kuti Nigerian musician and political activist Fela Kuti (1938–1997) used his great musical talent to take on the Nigerian military government in the 1970s and 1980s. He was a pioneer of a new musical genre called Afrobeat, and both his music and activism brought him critical acclaim and international fame.

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1938

Activist mother

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Kuti took musical inspiration from different places to make something new. Around the same time, other musicians were doing the same thing in the musical genres of reggae and rock. Bob Marley (1945–1981) Jamaican musician Bob Marley fused jazz, ska, and rhythm and blues with Jamaican dance music to make reggae music. Marley’s songs were melodic and catchy, and often included serious political messages.

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Phil Lynott (1949–1986) Irish musician Phil Lynott wrote some of the biggest rock records of the 1970s and 1980s as part of his band Thin Lizzy. Their sound mixed elements of Irish music with heavy guitar-based rock music.

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Death

Fela dies from complications related to AIDS. More than one million people attend his funeral.

1997

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Wangari Maathai

“Until you dig a hole, you plant a tree, you water it and make it survive, you haven’t done a thing. You are just talking.”

Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai (1940–2011) was the founder of the Green Belt Movement, an organization that has arranged the planting of more than 51 million trees in Kenya. She spoke out against Kenya’s corrupt government of the 1980s and 1990s, and suffered intimidation and arrest as a result. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.

Wangari Maathai, Speech at Goldman Environmental Prize awards (2006)

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Working for others The following people have won awards for working toward a better, more peaceful, and a fairer world for everybody.

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c e :t gari tion up th Wa n p l e s o l u e s ets t as s i m re e s . S h o v e m e n h e M et .T m o r e n B e l t N CW K wo m e n e e s r h e G t of t niz and p a r e n t o rg a g t re e s , e e n , i m y t e n tr b m o v t a r t p l a i n fo re s t ra d e s s m er to m e. s the d ot h t ra i n p i n g , a n a r n i n c o ke e t c a n e tha

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’s l r a o t O upportirfonmenonflict a 7 s c 1 97 v n nt , i ’s to g a r a n d e h e r i n r n m e e nt n a e s t s v 6 W igh id g r n g o re s brin 1 97 r m Ke nya u n by P . Th e o o f re t h e oi l ip r er t i t h to rs h a ra p Mrc e s h r ona i w t l a a e t d i c D a n i e e n t fo f ro m h . te r n p a i g n o m e s n I m n n r WK camization becsful, it vismNational a ove e p d ow h e N C i g t c t t s A s the Keny s e at rg a n ican ucce ro l t h e o s i n g l y s Pa n -A f r b o u t i j o i n m e n of at i o n r s a A g a o e A n z e i . h r a t W t n c n f a s W cil o e in e ra l n n o rg ther blish ove m C o u W K ) , a n f ro m r u c o v e r s e s t a B e l t M s f ro m o v e l t o C s n te a ( N wo m e h e d i t i s G re e d e l e g a n t r i e s t r s e t u p n .S of to 40 n cou i t i e s ve r n m e to c u t n w u o h a s. m o r s A f r i c t o l e a r n g ra m m e c o m a t t h e g f a r m e r ro p s fo c a o th aging y r w n r p Ke i m i l a r ur o g ro o d fo s e n c o fo re s t s t a d o f fo t re e s i s n e t n w s e w o n h i o t d rt gd in ex p o s . C u t t i n u t r i e n t s t a g e s r n n o a e h y Ke n m i n g t h fo o d s g har ausing magin t . c n da soil, a n d v i ro n m e n e the

si ppo

Kofi Annan (1938–2018) A Ghanian diplomat, Kofi Annan served as Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. In 2001, both Annan and the UN were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their work to try to secure a more peaceful world. Leymah Gbowee (b.1972) Leymah Gbowee is a Liberian peace and women’s rights activist. She was a joint award winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011. She brought together Christian and Muslim women to help bring an end to 14 years of devastating civil war in Liberia. Tarana Burke (b.1973) African American activist Tarana Burke started the #MeToo movement in 2006 to raise awareness of sexual harassment and abuse experienced by women. After the movement took off in 2017, she won Time magazine’s Person of the Year award.

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Muhammad Ali Boxing champion Muhammad Ali (1942– 2016) was one of the greatest sportspeople the world has ever seen. Charismatic, witty, and courageous, he was an outspoken advocate for justice and equality, and an important icon for African Americans. 1942

“[My mother] taught us to love people and treat everybody with kindness. She taught us it was wrong to be prejudiced or hate.”

1964

“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Rumble, young man, rumble.” Speaking before fighting Sonny Liston (1964) By February 1964, Cassius has won 19 fights without defeat. He is tall; physically imposing; quick; and full of charm, wit, and charisma. At 22, he defeats reigning champ Sonny Liston and is crowned world heavyweight champion for the first time.

1960

“When I won at the Olympics, that sealed it: I was the champ.”

Quoted in Muhammad Ali, His Life and Times by Thomas Hauser (1992) Muhammad is born Cassius Marcellus Clay in Louisville, Kentucky. The eldest son of Cassius and Odessa Clay, he is the descendant of enslaved people and grows up in a segregated neighborhood.

1954

“My bike got stolen and I started boxing, and it was like God telling me that boxing was my responsibility.”

Interview with Oprah Winfrey (2001) Cassius is chosen for the US Olympic boxing team. After winning three bouts in the qualifying round, he wins the gold medal in the final. The world takes notice. He turns professional two months later.

Quoted in Muhammad Ali, His Life and Times by Thomas Hauser (1992) When Cassius has his bike stolen, he tells the policeman, Joe E. Martin, he’s going to “whup” the thief. Martin, the organizer of a boxing club, persuades him to learn to box instead.

1954

“I never said I was the smartest. I said I was the greatest.” After taking an Army intelligence test (1964) Young Cassius has dyslexia, which leads him to struggle during his school years. During his six-year career as an amateur boxer, he wins title after title, including the Kentucky Golden Gloves annual competition six times.

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1964

2016

“Cassius Clay is a slave name ... I am Muhammad Ali, a free name— it means ‘beloved of God.’”

“Your soul and your spirit never dies.” TV interview in the UK (1977) In 1996, Muhammad lights the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Atlanta. Fans are shocked at his frail appearance. He spends much of the following two decades out of the public eye. He dies, aged 74, in Phoenix, Arizona, and is mourned throughout the world.

Statement to the US media (1964) In March, Cassius announces his conversion to Islam, and changes his name to Muhammad Ali. The US is simmering with racial tension, and his decision turns some white Americans against him.

1967

1984

“If I thought the war was going to bring freedom and equality to 22 million of my people they wouldn’t have to draft me, I’d join tomorrow.”

“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” Interview with Time magazine (1978) Muhammad retires from boxing in 1981. Three years later, he is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative disease of the brain. He dedicates the rest of his life to helping others.

Quoted in Redemption Song by Mike Marquseet (1999) For religious reasons, Muhammad refuses to join the US Army to fight in the Vietnam War. He is arrested, stripped of his world title, and his boxing license is suspended. He is banned for three years. To millions of African Americans and other oppressed peoples, however, he becomes an unofficial spokesperson.

1975

1971

“We all have to take defeats in life.” Interview on NBC News after losing to Joe Frazier (1971) In his first big fight after returning to boxing, Muhammad and Joe Frazier compete in “The Fight of the Century” in New York. In the final round, Frazier’s left hook knocks Muhammad down but he lifts himself from the canvas to continue fighting. Frazier emerges the victor on points, inflicting Muhammad’s first defeat.

“He could have whupped any fighter in the world, except me.” After fighting Frazier in Manila (1978) In Manila, the capital of the Philippines, Muhammad again meets Frazier in a fight of unrelenting aggression. Fearing for their fighter’s safety, Frazier’s trainers end the fight between rounds 14 and 15. Muhammad wins, but he is also exhausted and is just about to retire from the fight.

1974

“That all you got, George?” Whispering in the ear of George Foreman during Round 7 of the “Rumble in the Jungle” (1974) After losing his heavyweight title the year before, Muhammad—now 32—goes into a clash in Zaire (modern-day Democratic Republic of the Congo) against the undefeated champion, George Foreman, as the underdog. A billion people worldwide watch on TV as he downs Foreman in the eighth round and wins with a knockout. It is one of the greatest sporting contests of the 20th century.

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72

Potato-sack dresses

Born in Mississippi, Oprah is named “Orpah” at birth, but people found “Oprah” easier to pronounce. She is raised by her grandmother in rural poverty. They are so poor that Oprah wears dresses made from potato sack fabric. A bright and inquisitive child, she can recite verses from the Bible by heart at three years old.

1954

A new start

1962

Radio and TV

1972

The Oprah Winfrey Show

1984

On the show, Oprah discusses health, politics, and spirituality. Millions of viewers tune in each week to watch regular people and celebrities being interviewed by Oprah. The show is renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1986, and runs for 25 seasons. Oprah sets up her own media company, Harpo, also in 1986.

Oprah begins announcing the news at the radio station, making her one of the first Black female news anchors in the US. She works her way through local radio and TV stations. Eventually, she begins working on the morning show of a Chicago TV station.

Oprah is abused by relatives in Mississippi. She leaves to live with her father in Tennessee, where she excels in her school studies. She begins to work in a local radio station during her final years in high school, and sticks with it into her early years at college.

Oprah Winfrey

Rising from unrelenting poverty to become the “queen of all media,” Oprah Winfrey (b. 1954) is one of the world’s most influential people. She was the first African American multi-billionaire and is considered the greatest Black philanthropist (charity-giver) in US history. Oprah’s show’s new tagline is “Change Your Life TV.” In 2010, scientists study the effects of watching uplifting moments from the show, and find that it makes the watchers more inclined to help others.

Uplifting moments

Oprah begins acting in films and seeks out roles which reflect her African American heritage. She receives a nomination for an Academy Award for her role as Sofia in the film adaptation of Alice Walker’s book The Color Purple.

Award nomination

1985 1994

Book club

Another effect of Oprah’s show is that it brings stories about LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) communities to the general public. Oprah invites comedian Ellen DeGeneres onto her show to give her a platform to discuss the reaction to Ellen coming out as a lesbian.

LGBTQ+ support

Ida B. Wells (1862–1931) Like Oprah, African American Ida B. Wells survived a traumatic childhood to embark on a career as a journalist. She wrote about the racial politics in the southern US states, and women’s right to vote, and she became an early leader of the Civil Rights Movement.

Oprah starts a book segment on her show called “Oprah’s Book Club” to motivate her audience to read more often. Books that appear on her reading list top best-seller charts and sell millions of extra copies.

Oprah has spoken of important women—that she calls “she-roes”— who have inspired her life.

Empowering change

2007

Highlighting the HIV/AIDS crisis among South African children, Oprah travels around the country raising money and giving gifts. Understanding that education is the key to changing lives and enabling positive change in society, she establishes the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls near Johannesburg. It provides educational opportunities for girls from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Oprah’s Angels

1998

Oprah sets up Oprah’s Angel Network, which provides grants and funding to nonprofit organizations. The network raises more than $80 million for charity programs from initial donations. After Hurricane Katrina (which hit the southern coast of the US, and caused 1,200 deaths) in 2005, the organization raised more than $11 million toward relief efforts.

1997 1996

Alice Walker (b. 1944) An African American novelist, activist, and Pulitzer Prize winner. Alice Walker coined the term “womanist” for Black feminists or feminists of color. Her most famous book is The Color Purple, which tells the story of Black women in the American south in the 1930s.

Oprah’s she-roes

Endorsing Obama Oprah publicly endorses Barack Obama in his run to become US president in 2008. Election experts later credit the move with securing Obama up to 1.6 million extra votes from Oprah’s viewers. In 2013, Oprah is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom as a result of her significant cultural contributions to society.

2008

Museum exhibit

The National Museum of African American History and Culture opens a year-long special exhibit called “Watching Oprah” that centers around the profound cultural influence Oprah continues to have on the American public through television.

2018

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“People always said that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn’t true ... No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.” Rosa Parks, My Story (1992)

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ROSA PARKS Sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a nonviolent civil rights campaign that took place from 1955 to 1956 in Montgomery, Alabama. It followed the arrest of Rosa Parks (1913–2005), an African American woman who refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. Rosa’s brave action inspired more than 40,000 African Americans to protest by refusing to take the city’s buses. The protest ended when the US Supreme Court finally ordered Montgomery to integrate its bus system. Abolition and the KKK

In 1865, the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution was passed, abolishing slavery across the United States. Around 4 million enslaved people were freed. In the same year, a secret society called the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) formed. Believing white people to be superior, they terrorized Black people, vandalizing schools and businesses, burning down homes, and violently attacking and murdering thousands of Black people. Legislation was passed to crush the KKK in the early 1870s but the society saw a huge resurgence in the 1920s and the 1950s.

Jim Crow and civil rights

In 1877, the first of a set of laws that become known as the Jim Crow laws was introduced in the southern states. These laws legalized discrimination against Black people—taking away the right to vote from many, and dictating where they could work, eat, and live. These laws eroded the few rights that Black citizens enjoyed. In 1909, the NAACP (The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) was established by a group of African American activists to fight back. Over the next decades, the NAACP played a key part in the development of the Civil Rights Movement. This movement campaigned to outlaw segregation, expand voting rights, and oppose discriminatory laws.

Rosa Parks

In late 1943, an African American seamstress named Rosa Parks joins her local NAACP branch in Montgomery, Alabama, where she is later elected to be a secretary. She works with the branch president, Edgar Nixon, organizing equal justice campaigns and investigating cases of violence against Black women. By the 1950s, the growing US Civil Rights Movement has begun to inspire a wave of protests across the southern states, as African Americans start to defy segregation laws. One such protestor is Claudette Colvin, a teenage nurse and member of the local NAACP Youth Council in Montgomery. The

bus system in Montgomery is segregated by law—white people sit at the front of the bus, and Black people have to sit at the back. On March 2, 1955, Colvin refuses to give up her bus seat to a white woman and is arrested. Some local civil rights leaders see the event as a chance to highlight the city’s racist bus policy, but in the end they decide that Colvin is too young to represent the struggle. Nine months later, on December 1, Rosa Parks boards a bus and takes a seat behind a row filled with white passengers. When the bus stops, a white man boards and finds there are no free seats in the “whites-only” area. The bus driver, James Blake, orders Rosa to give her seat up for the man. She refuses. Police officers board the bus and arrest Rosa. News spreads fast about her arrest. She is released in the evening when her NAACP colleagues bail her out.

Montgomery Bus Boycott The case angers many. As Rosa is a respected member of her community, Edgar Nixon thinks that the incident could benefit the NAACP. On the night of her arrest, the Women’s Political Council, a part of the Civil Rights Movement, prints and circulates flyers to the Black community in Montgomery urging them to boycott (stop using) bus services. On December 2, Rosa joins a meeting at the Dexter Avenue Church, where they discuss how to implement a citywide boycott of public transportation. The mass boycott begins on December 5, with Black taxi drivers lowering their prices to that of a bus ticket in solidarity. However, the boycott causes a backlash. In retaliation, groups of white thugs firebomb activists’ houses and many Black churches, and physically attack boycotters. The protest gains national attention and much support from the public. After mounting public pressure, on November 13, 1956, the US Supreme Court upholds a court ruling that segregation on public buses is against the law. The boycott ends, after 381 days, on December 20, 1956, as the city is finally forced to allow Black people to sit anywhere on public transportation.

Life after the boycott Although the Montgomery Bus Boycott has been successful, many white Americans do not agree with the new laws. Over the next few months, there are shootings of buses and bus passengers, as well as frequent attacks on individuals. Despite this, the Montgomery Bus Boycott has been an important part of the Civil Rights Movement, as it has shown how nonviolent protest can bring about change. The NAACP and the wider Civil Rights Movement continues to fight racist laws. They successfully campaign for the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bans discrimination based on race. In 1965, the Voting Rights Act is passed, which makes practices that prevent African Americans from voting illegal. Rosa Parks continues to campaign for and support civil rights causes right up to her death in 2005.

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Rwandan Genocide More than a million people of the Tutsi ethnicity in Rwanda are killed by members of the neighboring ethnic group, the Hutus. The international community fails to stop the genocide (the killing of a large number of people because of their ethnicity).

Postcolonial Africa In the 1950s and 1960s, African nations gained independence from colonial rule with varying degrees of success. Although there was freedom in many places, there was also corruption, military coups, civil war, and division among different ethnic groups. However, in the 21st century, optimism is growing, with greater wealth and improving political stability.

Ghanaian independence Kwame Nkrumah becomes the country’s first independent prime minister after years of British colonial rule. In an emotional speech, he tells tens of thousands of Ghanaians: “your beloved country is free forever.”

1957

1960

1963

Congo Crisis The Congo (modern-day Democratic Republic of Congo) dissolves into crisis after becoming independent from Belgium in June 1960. A breakaway state of Katanga exists until the United Nations (UN) intervenes in 1963. The army seizes power in 1965.

“In the end, the ballot must decide, not bullets.” Angolan politican Jonas Savimbi, from a speech (1975)

1971

1975

President Nelson Mandela After decades of apartheid (racial segregation) in his country, and 27 years of imprisonment for protesting against it, Nelson Mandela is elected the first Black president of South Africa. This ends 300 years of white rule.

1984

1994

1994

Idi Amin Ugandan president Amin expels Asian minorities from Uganda and launches an unsuccessful attack against Tanzania. Following eight years of erratic rule, he is overthrown in 1979 and sent to live in exile.

Ethiopian famine

African Unity

Decades of war and extreme drought cause agricultural decline, resulting in widespread starvation in Ethiopia. About 1 million die, with many left hungry and poor. Many are forced to leave their homes and resettle elsewhere.

Following the independence of many African nations from European rule, the Organization of African Unity is established by 32 African states to encourage and protect Africa’s interests.

Angolan Civil War The Republic of Angola, rich in diamonds and oil, becomes independent from Portugal in 1975, but suffers social and economic turmoil when civil war breaks out. This will be one of Africa’s longest-running conflicts.

Economic boom Africa is predicted to have the largest economic growth of any continent over the next decades. Industries such as telecommunications, retail, and banking help the continent to flourish financially.

Kofi Annan

Election day

Kofi Annan from Ghana becomes the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations. He expands the UN’s work into protecting the environment, fighting against HIV/AIDS in Africa, and improving human rights.

Nigeria votes out President Goodluck Jonathan in favor of Muhammadu Buhari. Despite being divided along ethnic, regional, and religious lines, Jonathan is gracious in his defeat to Buhari.

Independence for South Sudan

Civil war in Sudan Civil war begins in the Darfur region of Sudan between rebel groups and the government. Several hundred thousand people are killed and millions flee their homes in a conflict that remains unresolved today.

1997

2003

2004

Life expectancy

South Sudan votes to break away from Sudan after a civil war between the mainly Christian south and the Arab Muslim north. Much of the world recognizes the new nation, but it remains in crisis, due to its struggling infrastructure.

2010

2010

2011

Across the continent, life expectancy increases by 9.4 years in just one decade. This is thanks to developments in healthcare, access to medical treatment, and improved governance.

2011

Prize for Kenya

2014

2015

2016

2017

Ebola

Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan feminist and environmentalist, receives the Nobel Peace Prize. Her Green Belt Movement teaches women to grow trees in order to improve their living conditions.

West Africa experiences the biggest outbreak of the Ebola virus ever known. Thousands die and the economies of many countries are damaged, some of which are still recovering from civil war.

World Cup The soccer World Cup comes to South Africa, the first time an African nation has held such a prestigious worldwide event. The tournament is a success, boosting both tourism and South Africa’s international image.

Rwandan reform Rwanda manages to rebuild its economy after its devastating civil war. Life expectancy, the number of children attending school, and the amount of money spent on health care have all improved.

Robert Mugabe steps down Robert Mugabe, president of Zimbabwe since 1980, loses his grip on power and resigns after the military take control. He is blamed for economic chaos, preventing political freedom, and the abuse of human rights.

77

Kwame Nkrumah and Ghanaian Independence In this photograph, officials from the Ghanaian government carry revolutionary and politician Kwame Nkrumah (1909–1972) aloft to celebrate Ghana’s independence from British rule in 1957. Nkrumah led the campaign for independence, and became the country’s first president in 1960. He was a supporter of Pan-Africanism, the worldwide movement that aims to strengthen the cultural bonds among all people of African descent. He also helped set up the Organization of African Unity—a political body founded in 1963 that aimed to improve the lives of Africans living on the continent.

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The Seal of the President of the United States is used as a symbol of the presidency. The seal shows a bald eagle—the national bird of the US—holding arrows and an olive branch to symbolize war and peace. When translated, the text in Latin reads “out of many, one”—an official motto of the country.

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Barack Obama

Barack Obama (b. 1961) was the first African American to be elected president of the US. A charismatic and gifted speaker, he introduced affordable health care, worked to improve the US’ reputation abroad, and committed to tackling global warming.

Michelle Obama (b. 1964) Chicago-born lawyer and campaigner Michelle Obama pursued a successful career in law and city administration before becoming First Lady. She has campaigned on issues such as poverty, healthy living, and education, and published a best-selling memoir, Becoming, in 2018.

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20

Michigan to California

First tournament Serena enters her first junior tennis tournament. Over the next five years, she wins 46 out of the 49 tournaments she competes in.

Serena is born in Michigan to tennis coach parents, Oracene Price and Richard Williams. The family soon leave Michigan to move to California. Serena’s dad begins to coach her when she is four years old.

1981

One of the greatest tennis players of all time, Serena Williams (b. 1981) has won 73 singles titles, 23 doubles titles, and four gold medals at the Olympic Games. Williams’ success is built on her power, agility, and mental toughness.

82

Tragedy strikes After suffering from an injured knee for some time, Serena is forced to undergo surgery and takes time off to recover. A month later, her half-sister Yetunde is murdered. Serena does not return to tennis for eight months.

2003

2004 In top form

1991

1985

Serena Williams

Serena returns to tennis, and wins the Australian Open in 2005. She goes on to win the US Open three years later, and by 2009, she has earned back her spot as the world’s number one.

Move to Florida Serena’s father withdraws his daughters from junior tournaments. He does this after Serena and her sister, Venus, experience racism. The family move to Florida. Here, Serena and Venus attend the Rick Macci Tennis Academy.

Illness

Olympic winner

Doctors discover a blood clot in Serena’s lungs. She is forced to take time away from tennis, and it is rumored that she might retire. Following surgery, her health improves, and she returns to training.

Serena’s return means she does not miss the 2012 Olympic Games in London, UK. She takes home the gold medal for women’s singles tennis by beating Maria Sharapova in the final. Her winning streak continues at the US Open, where she wins the title.

2011

2012

Going pro At the age of 14, Serena decides to dedicate her life to playing tennis professionally. After losing her debut professional match, she takes a break from competing and dedicates herself to training for the next two years.

Making an impact Serena returns to competitive tennis. Aged 16, she beats professional tennis players Mary Pierce and Monica Seles at the Ameritech Cup, before losing to Lindsay Davenport in the semi-finals. At the end of a great year, she breaks into the top 100 players in the world.

1995

Tennis greats Over the past century, women’s tennis has become one of the world’s most popular sports. Its greatest players have become an inspiration to sports fans around the world. Althea Gibson (1927–2003) Described as a “forgotten pioneer,” Althea Gibson was the first African American tennis player to win a tennis Grand Slam, in 1956. She won 11 Grand Slam tournaments over the course of her career.

1997

Serena wins the four Grand Slam tennis titles—the US Open, the French Open, the Australian Open, and Wimbledon. Her triumph is called the “Serena Slam” in the press. After an unbelievable year, Serena is now the number one player in the world.

2002 Engagement

Entrepreneur

Serena gets engaged to American tech business owner Alexis Ohanian. A year later, they marry and Serena gives birth to a girl, Alexis Olympia Ohanian, Jr.

Serena launches her own women’s clothing company, Serena— describing the inspiration behind her designs as “strong women everywhere”.

After losing against Sabine Lisicki at Wimbledon, Serena returns to form at the US Open. She wins the title for the fifth time, and becomes the world’s number one player for the sixth time in her career.

2013

2016

Naomi Osaka (b.1997) Naomi Osaka became the world’s top female tennis player in January 2019. Although she represents Japan, she grew up in America, and is the daughter of a Japanese mother and a Haitian father. She defeated Serena Williams in the final to win the US Open in 2018, and looks set to dominate the game for years to come.

1998 The “Serena Slam”

Number one

Venus Williams (b. 1980) Serena’s older sister Venus is also a professional tennis player. She has won seven Grand Slam singles titles, and been ranked the world’s best player three times.

2018

Graduation Serena signs a $12 million business deal with Puma, a sportswear company. A year later, she graduates from high school. Her tennis career goes from strength to strength, and she wins the US Open, her first major title.

LeBron James Considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time, LeBron James (b.  1 984) made his name playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat before moving on to the Los Angeles Lakers. He has been successful wherever he has played, and shows no signs of slowing down.

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Brilliant basketballers Basketball was invented in the late 1800s, but grew popular in the mid-20th century when the National Basketball Association (NBA) was set up, and it was made an Olympic sport. Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Jr. (b. 1959) “Magic” Johnson won five NBA championships and three MVP awards with the L.A. Lakers over 13 seasons in the NBA. Retiring in 1991, Johnson went on to build a business empire.

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Tamika Catchings (b. 1979) Tamika Catchings won four Olympic gold medals for the US women’s basketball team. She played 14 seasons in the Women’s NBA (WNBA), winning the championship in 2012.

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Michael Jordan (b. 1963) Often considered to be LeBron James’ only rival for the title of greatest basketball player ever, Jordan won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and received the NBA MVP award five times.

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2018

85

Stormzy Born Michael Omari, Stormzy is one of England’s most successful musicians of the 21st century. In 2017, his debut album, Gang Signs and Prayer, became the first grime album to hit No.1 in the UK album charts. A year later, he launched #Merky Books, aimed at discovering new and diverse voices in literature.

College and music Following his win, Stormzy graduates from high school. He finds college difficult and eventually drops out. He begins an engineering apprenticeship, but becomes swayed by his growing passion for making and performing music.

Unsigned Stars Early days Michael Omari is born and raised in south London, England. He listens to a wide range of music from an early age, from church gospel to R&B, and grime, a type of fast electronic music from London.

1993

Both talented and smart, Stormzy does very well in school, but he also continues performing. He competes in Unsigned Stars, an annual competition for up-andcoming rappers, singers, dancers, and poets. He raps his way to victory.

2004

2011

2012

2013

Rap Academy Around eleven years old, Michael becomes obsessed with performing after listening to the grime artists Kano and Lethal Bizzle. He goes to his local youth club, Rap Academy, where he invites others to enter into musical battles with him. He starts using the name Stormzy for performances, and begins honing his rapping skills.

Mixtape Stormzy releases his “168: The Mixtape,” a compilation of his music that takes its name from the fact it was recorded in one week (168 hours). Stormzy’s profile as a musician really starts to grow.

Black British music Young Black British musicians have stormed the charts and made huge contributions to British music culture in recent years.

Lady Leshurr (b. 1988) Lady Leshurr is a British rapper, songwriter, singer, and producer. In 2015, her freestyle “Queen’s Speech” raps went viral, and a year later, she won a MOBO Award. Leshurr is a mental-health advocate and has established numerous youth clubs.

Krept (b. 1990) and Konan (b. 1989) Krept and Konan are a British rap duo. In 2017, they became the first act to have two mixtapes in the UK top 10 album chart. In 2018, they opened their dessert restaurant, Crepes and Cones. Passionate about charity work, their Positive Direction Foundation works to inspire creativity in young people.

Dave (b. 1998) Dave is a British rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, and producer. In 2018, he won the Ivor Novello Award for his politically-charged song, “Question Time,” and a year later, he won the BRIT Award for his album, Psychodrama. Dave is also a self-taught classical pianist.

#Merky Books Dreamers Disease Stormzy quits his apprenticeship to focus fully on music. He releases Dreamers Disease—a seven-track mini-album. He later wins Best Grime Act at the Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards—an annual award show that recognizes achievements in a range of musical genres such as R&B, gospel, hip-hop, and grime.

2014

Debut album Gang Signs and Prayer, Stormzy’s debut full-length album, is released through his own record label, #Merky Records. It becomes the first grime album to reach No.1 in the UK album chart. He wins numerous awards, including Artist of the Year at the BBC Music Awards.

2015

2016

2017

Stormzy launches his publishing company, #Merky Books, with the aim of focusing on new and exciting authors and poets. His memoir, Rise Up, is the first book published, and is a big success. He later performs a freestyle rap at the BRIT Awards, criticizing Prime Minister Theresa May for her inaction in response to the Grenfell Tower fire—a tragedy that claimed the lives of more than 70 people in 2017.

2018

Helping others In the aftermath of the Black Lives Matter protests, Stormzy pledges to donate £10 million ($13 million) over the coming decade to UK charitable organizations working to tackle racial inequality, reform the legal system, and encourage Black empowerment in the UK.

2019

2020

Shut Up Stormzy performs an improvised freestyle rap, “Shut Up,” over an instrumental track by Ruff Sqwad, an English grime group. The song enters the UK singles chart at No.18, his first success in the charts.

Huge success “Vossi Bop,” the first track to be released from Stormzy’s second album, Heavy Is the Head, reaches No.1 in the UK singles chart. Later, Stormzy becomes the first grime artist to headline the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury Festival— the biggest stage of the largest music festival in the UK. His performance is widely praised.

Hiatus Stormzy criticizes the BRIT Award panel—who give awards for achievements in the British music industry—for not recognizing the grime music genre. After releasing a song titled “Scary,” Stormzy goes on a year-long hiatus from social media in order to concentrate working on his debut full-length album.

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Mari Copeny Perhaps better known as “Little Miss Flint,” Amariyanna “Mari” Copeny (b.2007) has campaigned to raise awareness of the poisioned water supply in her hometown of Flint, Michigan. In 2016, at the age of eight, she wrote to US President Barack Obama to tell him that Flint’s water supply was contaminated with lead, causing people to become ill. President Obama visited Flint and soon declared the situation a Federal emergency, and allocated government money to begin to fix the problem. Copeny has continued to raise awareness and funds to help the people of Flint, and she has also spoken out on issues affecting schoolchildren and immigrants.

Marley Dias Marley Dias (b.2005) noticed that most stories in her school books were about, as she explained, “white boys and dogs.” This caused her to launch a social media campaign to call for more books with Black girls as main characters in 2015. Her campaign, #1000BlackGirlsBooks, aimed to collect 1,000 books to donate to Black girls, while also raising awareness about the lack of diversity in children’s literature more generally. The campaign was a success on both fronts. Tens of thousands of books were donated across the world, and Dias has encouraged many publishers to create new books written by or featuring Black girls, including Dias’ own first book.

Black history stars From leaders, politicians, and activists, to actors, writers, and athletes, Black people from all over the world have made crucial and lasting contributions to the modern world. Here are just a few more notable people, all of whom have made groundbreaking achievements, often while encountering racism and inequality in their daily lives.

Nanny of the Maroons (c.1686–c.1740s) Nanny was the leader of the Windward Maroons, a community of formerly enslaved people in Jamaica. She led the Maroons in their guerilla war against the British forces that had colonized the island. Though the facts of many parts of her life have been lost over time, she has become a national icon in Jamaica.

James Baldwin (1924–1987)

Frantz Fanon (1925–1961)

John Lewis (1940–2020)

A key figure in the US Civil Rights Movement, African American writer and activist James Baldwin traveled the country lecturing against racial inequality and attending protest marches. Drawing on his own experiences as a gay Black man, Baldwin’s writings explored ideas about race, class, and sexuality.

Frantz Fanon was a Martinique-born psychiatrist whose work focused on the psychological impact of colonialism on colonized people. His work blended historical analysis, philosophy, psychology, the Négritude movement of Aimé Césaire, and observations from his own life and experiences. He inspired many Black revolutionaries to seek liberation from their colonizers.

African American activist and politician John Lewis was an important leader in the US Civil Rights Movement. To highlight barriers to voting faced by African Americans, Lewis led the first of three marches in 1965 from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, where protesters faced brutal police violence. He served in Congress from 1986 until his death.

Black Panthers (est.1966)

Jay-Z (b.1969)

Janelle Monáe (b.1985)

The Black Panthers campaigned against police violence against African Americans, and fought for better housing, employment, and justice for all Black people. Its 2,000 members—twothirds of whom were women—offered free meals and health clinics in African American communities until government efforts to discredit the organization led to its decline.

Born in New York, African American rapper Jay-Z released his first album Reasonable Doubt in 1996. He has since sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, and broken a string of records. His rapping is based on clever wordplay and a laid-back vocal style. He is also a successful entrepreneur.

Janelle Monáe is an award-winning African American singer and actor. She began releasing music in 2007. She uses her platform as a musician to express support for the Black Lives Matter movement and the LGBTQ+ community, and to campaign for better gun control in the US.

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Paul Robeson (1898–1976)

Aimé Césaire (1913–2008)

Paul Robeson blended together his interests in singing, acting, and activism throughout his life. In 1943, he became the first African American to lead a Broadway production, when he took the lead role in the Shakespeare play Othello. It became the most successful Shakespeare production in Broadway history.

Poet and politician Aimé Césaire was born on the Caribbean island of Martinique, then a French colony. Césaire was a founder of the Négritude movement. It brought together writers, intellectuals, and politicians who criticized colonialism, and called for greater recognition of Black history and culture.

Angela Davis (b.1944) Author, activist, philosopher, and university professor Angela Davis has spoken up against injustice throughout her life. She joined the Communist Party in 1969 and also was a part of the feminist and Black Panther movements. Davis continues to lecture at many universities today, discussing issues including prison abolition.

Katherine Johnson (1918–2020) African American mathematician Katherine Johnson overcame racism and sexism to become key to the success of the US space program. Her important work helped put the first US astronaut into space, and the first-ever humans on the moon. She worked at NASA for 33 years making the complex calculations required for missions into space.

Marsha P. Johnson (1945–1992)

Doreen Lawrence (b.1952)

US gay rights activist and drag queen Marsha P. Johnson campaigned against discrimination of LGBTQ+ people. Often seen wearing a crown of flowers, Johnson led protests during the 1969 Stonewall Uprisings in which the LGBTQ+ community of New York stood up against police brutality.

After British police failed to solve her son Stephen’s murder by racists in London, England, in 1993, Jamaican-born Doreen Lawrence spent years fighting for justice. A 1999 inquiry into the investigation revealed the police were institutionally racist, leading to widespread reform. Lawrence continues to support and campaign for justice for the victims of racism.

Usain Bolt (b.1986)

Simone Biles (b.1997)

Black Lives Matter (est.2013)

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt is the planet’s fastest man, holding the world record time of 9.58 seconds for running 100m in 2008. Bolt made history winning the 100m and 200m titles at three consecutive Olympic Games, and holds eight Olympic gold medals in total. He retired in 2017.

The most successful US gymnast, with 25 world championship medals to her name, Simone Biles led the US female gymnastics team to first place at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2016, while also winning individual medals in the vault, the floor, and the balance beam. Many believe her to be the greatest gymnast ever.

First set up in the US, Black Lives Matter is a global network of activists who demonstrate against police brutality and racially motivated acts of violence. After African American George Floyd was killed in police custody in May 2020, millions of people worldwide participated in Black Lives Matter protests to demand change.

BL ACK

L I V ES

MATTER

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Glossary Terms defined elsewhere in the glossary are in italics.

abdication

boycott

colonialism

dictator

A form of protest that involves not buying, using, or interacting with something.

The policy of gaining political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.

A leader who rules a country alone, with no restrictions on the extent of their power.

Formally handing over power or responsibility to another.

caliph

abolition

The title of the religious and political leader of Islam (in the Islamic world).

The act of doing away with something completely.

ce

Someone who campaigns to bring about social or political change.

Common Era. The years from 1 ce to the present day. This abbreviation has largely replaced ad (Anno Domini, which is Latin for “in the year of the Lord”).

Afrobeat

Christian

A genre of music that fuses Nigerian music with jazz, funk, and salsa. It was first popularized by Fela Kuti.

A follower of Christianity.

activist

apartheid In South Africa, a government policy of racial segregation that lasted from 1948 to 1994.

assassination The murder of a key figure by surprise attack, usually carried out for political or religious reasons.

autobiography A written work that deals with the author’s own life.

bankrupt A legal declaration that a person or company cannot pay their debts. bce

Before common era. The years before 1 ce (Common Era). This abbreviation has largely replaced bc (Before Christ).

bipolar disorder A mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings.

92

citizen A person who belongs to a city or a bigger community such as a state or country.

city-state A self-governing, independent state consisting of a city and its surrounding area.

civilization The culture and way of life of people living together in an organized and developed society.

colonization The act of sending settlers to establish a colony in another country, sometimes involving taking political control over the people already living there.

emancipation The process of being set free from political or social restrictions.

emperor / empress The ruler of an empire.

colony An area under the political control of another state; or the group of people who have settled there.

colored An outdated and offensive term for a person with black or brown skin.

Congress The lawmaking branch of the US government.

constitution A set of laws or rules that determine the political principles of a government.

coup The sudden violent or illegal seizure of power by a group.

empire A group of lands or peoples brought under the rule of one government or person (the emperor / empress).

enslaved person A person who is held against their will as the property of another.

exile Forced absence from a person’s home or country.

feminism The belief that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men.

grime

civil disobedience

culture

A peaceful form of protesting where citizens refuse to obey laws that they consider unjust.

The customs, beliefs, and behavior shared by a society.

An type of electronic music that originated in London, England. It features fast rhythms, rapped lyrics, and an overall aggressive sound.

democracy

guerrilla warfare

A form of government based on rule by the people, usually through elected representatives.

A type of warfare in which small groups of fighters make surprise attacks against a larger force.

civil rights The rights of citizens (see citizen) to be socially and politically equal.

civil war A war among opposing groups of people of the same country.

diaspora The dispersion of people from their original homeland.

hajj A religious pilgrimage to the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, that Muslims are expected to make at least once in their lives.

Harlem Renaissance

Nobel Prize

segregation

An African American cultural movement based in Harlem, New York, US, that happened in the 1920s.

Any of six international awards given annually for outstanding work in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, economics, or the promotion of peace.

Separation, particularly of one race from another within a racist social system.

humanitarian Someone who works to help improve human welfare.

Islamic world A term for the countries where Islam is the main religion. It includes parts of North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

peace treaty An official, written agreement between warring parties to bring hostilities to an end.

pilgrimage A religious journey a person makes to a holy place.

Ku Klux Klan

pioneer

A violent terrorist secret society that was set up in the US after the Civil War to oppose Black emancipation.

A person who is the first or among the first to do something important.

missionary

racism

A religious person who seeks to persuade others, often living in foreign lands, to adopt his or her religion.

Prejudice or discrimination directed against a person or people of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior.

monarchy

republic

A type of government in which a king or queen is recognized as head of state, even though he or she may have no real political power.

A country without a hereditary monarch (see monarchy) or emperor. Modern republics are usually headed by presidents.

morality

revolt

Beliefs based on the principles of what is right and wrong.

An organized uprising intended to overthrow whoever is in authority.

Muslim

revolution

A follower of Islam.

A sudden and fundamental change in society brought about by an organized group of protesters.

nation An independent country, or one or more countries whose people share historical, linguistic, or cultural (see culture) ties.

siege To surround and blockade a city or fortress with the intention of capturing it.

sovereign A ruler or head of state exerting supreme power.

treason The crime of betraying one’s country.

Underground Railroad A network of secret routes and safe houses organized by Black and white anti-slavery activists in the US. Its aim was to help enslaved people escape from slavery to freedom.

United Nations An international organization of countries set up in 1945 that aims to promote peace, security, and cooperation among its members.

West, the Europe and North America or their ideals when seen in contrast to other civilizations.

Scramble for Africa The invasion, occupation, division, and colonization of Africa by European powers between 1881 and 1914.

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Index Page numbers in bold indicate main entries. 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment 39, 40

A

Abolitionist movement 22 Abu Bakr II of Mali 14, 15 Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) 48, 49 Adwa, Battle of 45, 48, 49 Africa ’70 67 Africa colonialism 44–5 postcolonial 76–7 rulers 10, 14, 16, 17, 18, 21 Scramble for Africa 21, 44, 45, 48 African Americans authors 54–5, 87 civil rights 30,–1, 43, 50, 54, 56–7, 58–9, 60, 62–3, 73, 75, 90 discrimination and segregation 43, 50, 51, 54, 56–7, 58, 59, 62, 74–5, 77, 91 in business 42–3, 63, 85 in entertainment 50–1, 62–3, 72–3 in medicine 28, 34–5 in politics 80–1 in sports 70–1, 82–3, 84–5 slavery 22–3, 26–7, 30–1, 32– 3, 38–9 writers 30–1, 34, 46–7, 90 Afrobeat 66 Aksumite Empire 10, 11 al-Sahili, Abu Ishaq 15 American Civil War 22, 23, 28, 30, 31, 32, 36, 38–39, 56 American football, 84 Amin, Idi 76 Amina, Queen of Zazzau 18 Anan, Kofi 69, 77 ANC (African National Congress) 52–3 Anfao, Battle of 16 Angelou, Maya 54–5 Anglo-Zulu War 44 Angola 18, 21, 45, 77 Angolan civil war 76 anti-slavery 30 Antietam, Battle of 38 apartheid, 52–3, 67, 76 Asante Empire 20 Asante people 44 Askia the Great of Songhai 16–7, 20 Atlantic slave trade 20, 26

B

Baba, Ahmed 16 Baker, Josephine 50–1 Baldwin, James 90

94

Ban Ki-moon 69 basketball 84–5 Benguela railway 45 Benin Empire 20, 45 Benin, Kingdom of 26, 45 Bethune, Mary McLeod 43 Beyoncé 50 Biles, Simone 91 bipolar disorder 63 Birmingham (Alabama) 57 Bismarck, Otto von 44 Black Lives Matter movement 91 Black Panthers 90 Black Power 67 Boer Wars 44 Bolt, Usain 91 books #Merky Books 87 Oprah’s Book Club 73 Boone, Sarah 36 Botswana 9 boxing 70–1 Brazil Portuguese rule 18 Breedlove, Sarah 42–3 British Hotel (Crimea) 29 Broadway 50, 91 Brown, John 32 Brown, Linda 56 Brown, Marie Van Brittan 36 Brown, William Wells 34 Buhari, Muhammadu 77 Bureau of Colored Troops 39 Burke, Tarana 69

C

Cameroon 10 Canada French colonization 25 Caribbean 24, 25, 47, 76–7 Catchings, Tamika 85 Césaire, Aimé, 91 Checker, Chubby 66 children adopted 50 foundations for 84, 87 cholera 28 civil rights Frederick Douglass 31 Ida B. Wells 73 James Baldwin 90 John Lewis 90 Josephine Baker 50 Martin Luther King, Jr. 58–9, 60 Maya Angelou 54 Nina Simone 62 Rosa Parks 75 Sarah Breedlove 43 Septima Poinsette Clark 58 US Civil Rights Movement, the 56–7 W.E.B. Du Bois 43

Chisholm, Shirley 58 Civil Rights Act (1964) 56, 57, 59, 75 Civil Rights Movement 56– 7,59, 60, 63, 73, 75, 90 Clark, Septima Poinsette 58 Cleveland Cavaliers 84, 85 Clinton, Bill 55 colonialism 20, 90, 91 in Africa 44–5 colonies British 27 Dutch 20 French 24–5, 45, 91 German 44 Italian 48 Scramble for Africa 21, 45, 48 Spanish and Portuguese 18– 9, 23, 24 Colvin, Claudette 75 Combahee River Raid 32 Confederate States/Army 30, 32, 38–9 Congo Free State 45 Copney, Mari 88 Crimean War 28, 29 Crumpler, Arthur 35 Crumpler, Rebecca Lee 34–5

D

dancing Josephine Baker 50–1 Darfur 77 Dave 87 Davis, Angela 91 Day, Thomas 29 de Klerk, F.W. 53 deforestation 69 Democratic Republic of Congo 76 Democrats 80 Dessalines, Jean-Jacques 24 diamonds 44, 76 Dias, Marley 89 Djibouti 21 Doe, Samuel 65 Douglass, Frederick 23, 27, 30–1, 43 Du Bois, W.E.B. 43 Dunham, Ann 80 Dust Tracks on a Road (Hurston) 47 Dutch Empire 18, 19

E

Early, Sarah Jane Woodson 34 Ebola virus Africa 77 Egypt ’80 67 elderly, care of the 33 Emancipation Proclamation 23, 30, 38, 39 Empire of Ghana 11 environmental activists 68–9, 77 equality 28, 39, 43, 57, 58 Equiano, Olaudah 26–7 Eritrea 18, 21, 48

Ethiopia, 8, 10, 11, 21, 44, 45, 48–9, 76 Evers, Medgar 63 Ezana, King of Aksum 11, 18

F

famine 76 Fanon, Frantz 90 feminism 66, 77, 91 film Beyoncé 50 Dave 87 Janelle Monáe 90 Josephine Baker 51 Oprah Winfrey 72 First Battle of Bull Run 38 Fitzgerald, Ella 63 football 77 Foreman, George 71 France colonialism 25 French Revolution 24 Franklin, Aretha 63 Frazier, Joe 71 French Revolution 24 Fugitive Slave Act 33

G

Gbowee, Leymah 69 genocide 76 Gettysburg Address 39 Gettysburg, Battle of 39 Ghana 11, 20, 44, 54, 66, 77 Gibson, Althea 83 global warming 81 gold 11, 14, 15, 16, 20, 45 Gold Coast 44 Grant, Ulysses S. 31, 39 Great Zimbabwe 11, 12 Green Belt Movement 68, 69, 77 Greensboro (North Carolina) 56

H

hair products 42–3 Haiti 25, 43, 47 Hammon, Jupiter 27 Harlem Renaissance 46, 47 Harpers Ferry Raid 32 healthcare 28–9, 77, 81 Hispaniola 24, 25 HIV/AIDS 53, 73, 77 Holiday, Billie 63 Hughes, Langston 47 humanitarian aid 73 Hurricane Katrina 73 Hurston, Zora Neale 46–7 Hutus 76 hygiene 28

I

“I Have a Dream” Speech, the 57, 59, 60 I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Angelou) 54–5 Idia, Queen of Benin 21 inventors Garrett Morgan 36 Lewis Howard Latimer 36–7 Marie Van Brittan Brown 36 Sarah Boone 36 Sarah Breedlove 42–3 Italy and Ethiopia 48–9

J

Jacobs, Harriet 27 Jamaica 24, 28, 43, 47, 90 James, LeBron 84–5 Jay-Z 90 jazz 47, 63, 66, 67 Jennings, Martin 29 “Jim Crow” laws 75 Johnson, Earvin “Magic” 85 Johnson, Katherine 91 Johnson, Marsha P. 91 Jonathan, Goodluck 77 Jordan, Michael 85 Juneteenth 39

K

Kanem-Bornu Empire 11 Katanga 45, 76 Kenya 8, 45, 68–9, 77, 80 King, Martin Luther Jr. 54, 56, 57, 58–9, 60 King, Robert 27 Kingdom of Adal 21 Kingdom of Da’amat 10 Kingdom of Kongo 21 Kingdom of Kush 10 Kingdom of Punt 10 Kingdom of Zimbabwe 11, 12 Koola Lobitos 66 Krept and Konan 87 Ku Klux Klan 75 Kuti, Fela 66–7

L

Lady Leshurr 87 Latimer, Lewis Howard 36–7 Lawrence, Doreen 91 LeBron James Family Foundation 84 Lee, Wyatt 34 Leopold II of Belgium 21, 45 Lewis, Cudjo Kazoola 47 Lewis, John 90 LGBTQ+ 73, 90, 91 Liberia 44, 63, 64–5, 69 Lincoln, Abraham 22, 30, 31, 38 Lisicki, Sabine 83 Liston, Sonny 70 literature

Angela Davis 90 Frederick Douglass 30 James Baldwin 90 Jupiter Hammon 27 Lewis Howard Latimer 37 Marley Dias 89 Maya Angelou 54–5 slavery stories 27 Stormzy 87 Zora Neale Hurston 46–7 Little Rock (Arkansas) 56 Locke, Alain LeRoy 47 Los Angeles Lakers 84, 85 L’Ouverture, Toussaint 24–5 Lynott, Phil 67

M

Maathai, Wangari 68–9, 77 Maghan, Mansa (Maghan I of Mali) 15 Mahoney, Mary Eliza 28 Malcolm X 57, 58 Mali 14, 15, 16, 17 Mali Empire 10, 14–5, 20 Malone, Annie Turnbo 43 Mandela, Nelson 52–3, 76 Mandinka Empire 45 Mandinka people 15, 45 Marley, Bob 67 Matamba, Kingdom of 18–9 Mau Mau 45 Mazzanovich, Muriel 62 Mecca 11, 14, 15, 16–7 medicine Mary Seacole 28–9 Rebecca Lee Crumpler 34–5 Menelik II of Ethiopia 48, 49 mental health 63 Miami Heat 84, 85 Moi, Daniel arap 69 Monáe, Janelle 90 Montgomery Bus Boycott 75 Moore’s Ford Lynchings 58 Morgan, Garrett 36 Movement of the People 67 Mugabe, Robert 77 Muhammad Ali 70–1 Musa, Mansa (Musa I of Mali) 10, 14–5 music Aretha Franklin 63 Beyoncé 50 Billie Holiday 63 Bob Marley 67 Dave 87 Ella Fitzgerald 63 Fela Kuti 66–7 Janelle Monáe 90 Lady Leshurr 87 Krept and Konan 87 musical pioneers 63 Nina Simone 62–3 Phil Lynott 67 Stormzy 86–7 mutism 54

N

Nanny of the Maroons 90 Napoleon I, Emperor 25, 38

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 43, 75 National Basketball Association (NBA) 84–5 National Council of Women of Kenya 69 national icons 65 Ndongo, Kingdom of 18–9 Nigeria 10, 17, 18, 26, 66–7, 77 Nina Simone 62–3 Nkrumah, Kwame 76, 78 Nobel Prizes Peace 52, 53, 59, 65, 68, 69, 77, 81 nonviolent protest 59, 75 North America colonial rule 23, 25 nursing 28–9, 34–5 Nyerere, Julius 65 Nzinga Mbandi, Queen of Ndongo and Matamba 18–9

O

Obama, Barack 55, 73, 80–1, 89 Obama, Barack Sr. 80 Obama, Michelle 80, 81 Obamacare 81 Ohanian, Alexis 83 Olympic Games 71, 82, 84, 91, Omari, Michael see Stormzy Oprah Winfrey Show, The 72 Organization of African Unity 76, 78 Osaka, Naomi 83

P

Pan-Africanism 78 Parkinson’s disease 71 Parks, Rosa 56, 58, 74–5 philanthropy 72, 73 Phipps, Constantine 27 plantations 18, 24, 26, 33 politics Barack Obama 80–1 Ellen Johnson Sirleaf 64–5 Fela Kuti 66–7 Nelson Mandela 52–3 Wangari Maathai 68–9 Portuguese Empire 18–9 poverty 33, 34 43, 47, 50, 72 Presidential seal 80–1

Q R

Quakers 23

race riots 57 racism 35, 47, 51, 54, 58–9, 63, 74–5, 82, 90 radio 66, 72 Rainbow Tribe 50

Reagan, Caroline Dudley 51 Rhodes, Cecil John 45 Robben Island 53 Roberts, Joseph Jenkins 65 Robeson, Paul 91 Russia Crimean War 29 Rwanda 76, 77

S

Saint-Domingue 24–5 Santo Domingo 24 Scramble for Africa 21, 44, 45, 48 Scott, Coretta 58 Seacole, Mary 28–9 segregation, racial 50, 51, 56–7, 58–9, 62, 74–5, 76 Selma to Montgomery march 57, 63, 90 Senegal 17 Seven Years’ War 26 Shaka Zulu 18, 21 Sharapova, Maria 82 ships, slave 22, 26–7, 47 Shona people 12 Sirleaf, Ellen Johnson 64–5 slavery,22–3 24, 26–7, 30–1, 32–3, 38–9, 44 abolition 38, 75 Frederick Douglass 30–1 Harriet Tubman 32–3 Jean-Jacques Dessalines 24 Olaudah Equiano 26–7 slavery stories 27, 47 Toussaint L’Ouverture 24–5 Underground Railroad 22, 32, 33 US Civil War 28, 31, 35, 38–9, 56 Smith, Zadie 47 Somalia 21 Songhai Empire 14, 16–7, 20 Sonni Ali of Songhai 16, 20 Sonni Baru of Songhai 16 Sons of Africa 27 South Africa 76, 77 Nelson Mandela 52–3 South Sudan 77 spies 39, 48, 51 sport basketball players 85 LeBron James 84–5 Muhammad Ali 70–1 Serena Williams 82–3 Stewart, Maria W. 32 Stormzy 86–7 Sudan 10, 77 Sundiata Keita of Mali 14, 15

T

Tambajang, Fatoumata 65 Taylor, Charles 65 Taylor, Susie 28 Taytu Betul, Empress of Ethiopia 48–9 television 72–3 tennis 82–3 Their Eyes Were Watching God

(Hurston) 47 Timbuktu 11, 15, 16 Tlemcen 15 Togo 20 Tolbert, William 65 tree planting 68–9 Truth and Reconciliation Commission 53 Truth, Sojourner 22, 32 Tubman, Harriet 32–3 Ture, Samori 45 Tutsi 76 Tutu, Desmond 52 Twilight, Alexander 34

Y Z

yellow fever 28

Ziegfeld Follies 51 Zong massacre 27 Zulu Kingdom 21

U

Uganda 76 Underground Railroad 22, 32–3 Union States/Army 30, 32, 38–9 United Nations 69, 76, 77 United States civil rights 31, 43, 54, 56–7, 58–9, 60, 62, 63, 73, 74–5, 90 Civil Rights Movement 56–7, 58–9, 60, 63, 73, 75, 90 Civil War 22–3, 30, 31, 32, 38– 9, 56–7 musicians 62–3, 90 presidency 80–1 slavery 22–3, 30–1, 32–3, 38–9 US Constitution 23, 31, 39, 75 writers 46–7, 54–5, 90

V

voting rights 32, 33, 56–7, 63, 75

W

Walker, Alice 47, 72, 73 Walker, Madam C.J. see Breedlove, Sarah Waymon, Eunice see Simone, Nina Weah, George 65 Wells, Ida B. 73 Wheatley, Phillis 27 Williams, Serena 82–3 Williams, Venus 82, 83 Winfrey, Oprah 54, 55, 72–3 women 19th-century activists 32–3 authors 54–5 in medicine 28–9, 34–5 in politics 64–5, 68–9 monarchs and rulers 18–9, 48–9 rights of 28, 65, 69 spies 39, 48, 51 votes for 32, 33

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Acknowledgments The publisher would like to thank the following for their assistance in the preparation of this book: Additional writing: Amanda Wyatt. Editorial assistance and Index: Tayabah Khan. Jackets Editorial Coordinator: Priyanka Sharma. Managing Jackets Editor: Saloni Singh Picture Researcher: Rituraj Singh. Assistant Picture Research Administrator: Vagisha Pushp. DTP Designer: Syed Md Farhan.

Some material in this book was previously published in Timelines of Everything (2018) and Timelines of Everyone (2020) TIMELINES OF EVERYTHING DK LONDON Senior Art Editor Smiljka Surla Senior Editor Sam Atkinson Project Editors Steven Carton, Ben Ffrancon Davies, Sarah Edwards, Sarah MacLeod, Ben Morgan, Sophie Parkes, Laura Sandford, Pauline Savage, Amanda Wyatt Project Designers Sunita Gahir, Alex Lloyd, Gregory McCarthy, Stefan Podhorodecki, Michelle Staples, Jacqui Swan, Sadie Thomas Illustrators Acute Graphics, Peter Bull, Edwood Burn, Sunita Gahir, Clare Joyce, KJA Artists, Arran Lewis, Alex Lloyd, Maltings Partnership, Gus Scott Picture Researchers Sarah Hopper, Jo Walton Producers, Pre-Production David Almond, Andy Hilliard Senior Producers Alex Bell, Mary Slater Jacket Designers Surabhi WadhwaGandhi, Juhi Sheth, Smiljka Surla Jackets Editor Amelia Collins Design Director Phil Ormerod Contributors Laura Buller, Peter Chrisp, Alexander Cox, Susan Kennedy, Andrea Mills, Sally Regan DK Delhi DTP Designers Jaypal Singh Chauhan, Syed Mohammed Farhan Senior DTP Designers Neeraj Bhatia, Jagtar Singh Jackets Designer Juhi Sheth Jacket Senior DTP Designer Harish Aggarwal Jacket DTP Designer Rakesh Kumar Jackets Editorial Coordinator Priyanka Sharma Managing Jackets Editor Saloni Singh TIMELINES OF EVERYONE DK LONDON Senior Editor Steven Carton Senior Art Editor Smiljka Surla Project Editors Edward Aves, Thomas Booth Project Designers Sunita Gahir, Joe Lawrence, Jessica Tapolcai Editors Ben Ffrancon Davies, Tayabah Khan Design Assistants Naomi Murray, Lauren Quinn Illustrators Peter Bull Art Studio, Gary Bullock Illustration, Barry Croucher/The Art Agency, Rob Davis/The Art Agency, Sunita Gahir, Peter Johnston/The Art Agency, Naomi Murray, Lauren Quinn, Claudia Saraceni/The Art Agency, Gus Scott, Peter David Scott/The Art Agency Senior Picture Researcher Myriam Megharbi Production Editor Gillian Reid Senior Producer Meskerem Berhane

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Jacket Designer Surabhi Wadhwa-Gandhi Contributors A. M. Dassu, Mireille Harper, Lisa Sade Kennedy, Susan Kennedy, Francesca Kletz, Sally Regan DK DELHI Jacket Designer Tanya Mehrotra Senior Picture Researcher Taiyaba Khatoon Senior Picture Researcher Surya Sankash Sarangi Assistant Picture Researcher Vagisha Pushp For both books: DK Media Archive Romaine Werblow Managing Editor Lisa Gillespie Managing Art Editor Owen Peyton Jones Jackets Design Development Manager Sophia MTT Publisher Andrew Macintyre Art Director Karen Self Associate Publishing Director Liz Wheeler Publishing Director Jonathan Metcalf Consultant Philip Parker The publisher would like to thank the following for their permission to reproduce their photographs: (Key: a-above; b-below/bottom; c-center; f-far; l-left; r-right; t-top) 2 Alamy Stock Photo: Hi-Story (cb); PjrStatues (cla); PictureLux / The Hollywood Archive (cr). Bridgeman Images: © Hannah Assouline / Opale (c). Carl Van Vechten photograph © VanVechtenTrust: Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University (cra). Getty Images: The LIFE Picture Collection / Walter Bennett (cl). Rex by Shutterstock: AP / Uncredited (ca). 6 Alamy Stock Photo: GL Archive (c/ Barack Obama); The Picture Art Collection (c, cr). © The Trustees of the British Museum. All rights reserved.: (cl). Mike DuBose: (cla). Getty Images: Corbis Historical / Micheline Pelletier (ca). 8-9 Getty Images: Dave Einsel (t). 8 Alamy Stock Photo: Images of Africa Photobank / David Keith Jones (br). 10-11 Alamy Stock Photo: Keren Su / China Span (b). 10 Alamy Stock Photo: imageBROKER / Torsten Antoniewski (tc). 11 Alamy Stock Photo: Heritage Image Partnership Ltd / Werner Forman Archive / National Museum of Ethiopia, Addis Abbaba (ca); Patrick Syder Images (cla). Getty Images: Universal Images Group / Werner Forman (tc). 12-13 Alamy Stock Photo: Christopher Scott. 14 Alamy Stock Photo: Heritage Image Partnership Ltd / The Print Collector (ca); The Picture Art Collection (bl). 14-15 Dreamstime.com: Björn Wylezich (b). 15 Alamy Stock Photo: Robertharding / Jenny Pate (tr). 16 Alamy Stock Photo: MARKA / gustavo tomsich (tc). 17 Getty Images: GammaRapho / Jean-Luc Manaud (cra). 20 Alamy Stock Photo: Artokoloro (tr); Peter Horree (br). Getty Images: Universal Images Group / Werner Forman (bl). 20-21 © The Trustees of the British Museum. All rights reserved.: (c). 21 Bridgeman Images: © British Library Board. (tl). © The Trustees of the British Museum. All rights reserved.: (bl). 24 Alamy Stock Photo: ART

Collection (bl). 24-25 Alamy Stock Photo: hemis.fr / Gil Giuglio. 26 Alamy Stock Photo: The Picture Art Collection (br). 26-27 Alamy Stock Photo: Cultura RM / Tim Macpherson. Dorling Kindersley: Bridgeman Images / Wilberforce House, Hull City Museums (b). 27 akg-images: NTB / scanpix (tr). Alamy Stock Photo: World History Archive (tc). 28 Alamy Stock Photo: FLHC 90 (clb); World History Archive (bc). 28-29 Alamy Stock Photo: PjrStatues (c). 29 Alamy Stock Photo: Glasshouse Images / Circa Images (tc); The Print Collector / Heritage Images / Karen Humpage (crb). Bridgeman Images: © British Library Board (cra). 30-31 Alamy Stock Photo: PictureLux / The Hollywood Archive. 32 Alamy Stock Photo: Granger Historical Picture Archive / NYC (clb). 32-33 Dreamstime.com: Elen33. 36-37 Dreamstime.com: Goldghost. 37 Alamy Stock Photo: Randy Duchaine (c, cb); Peter Horree (tl); FLHC 57 (br). 38 Dorling Kindersley: Gettysburg National Military Park, PA (bl). Getty Images: Universal Images Group / Universal History Archive (br). Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.: LC-DIGpga-04031 (tr); LC-DIG-ppmsca-19520 (cb). 39 Alamy Stock Photo: Everett Collection Historical (tc); Granger Historical Picture Archive / NYC (cla). Getty Images: Bettmann (cb); Corbis Historical (bc). 40-41 Alamy Stock Photo: Pete Cutter / Sculpture by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. 42 Alamy Stock Photo: GL Archive (tl). Madam C. J. Walker Collection, Indiana Historical Society: (tr). 43 Alamy Stock Photo: State Archives of Florida / Florida Memory (crb); WDC Photos (cb). Black History Photograph Collection (S0336). The State Historical Society of Missouri, Photograph Collection: (bc). 44 Getty Images: Hulton Archive (br); Popperfoto (ca). 45 Alamy Stock Photo: Heritage Image Partnership Ltd / Werner Forman Archive / Courtesy Entwistle Gallery, London (cr). Getty Images: Archive Photos / Express Newspapers (tl); Popperfoto / Paul Popper (tr). 46 Carl Van Vechten photograph © VanVechtenTrust: Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University (l). 47 Alamy Stock Photo: Everett Collection Historical (ca); Jeff Morgan 08 (tr); The Protected Art Archive (cra). Getty Images: Archive Photos / PhotoQuest (tc, bc); Archive Photos / Underwood Archives (tc/Hughes). 48 Alamy Stock Photo: Hi-Story (tl). Getty Images: Universal Images Group / Leemage (tr). 49 Alamy Stock Photo: PvE / Collection Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen. Coll.no. TM5956-2. 50 Alamy Stock Photo: BNA Photographic (c); Rex Curry (bl). 51 Alamy Stock Photo: Allstar Picture Library Ltd. (tr). Getty Images: Gamma-Rapho / Daniel Simon (r); Hulton Archive (cla). 52-53 Getty Images: Premium Archive / Premium Archive. 52 Bridgeman Images: Spaarnestad Photo (br). Getty Images: Corbis Historical / Deborah Feingold (cl). 53 Getty Images: AFP / Walter Dhladhla (bc). 55 Rex by Shutterstock: AP / Uncredited (r). 56 Getty Images: Bettmann (cr, cb, clb). 56-57 Dreamstime.com: Ovydyborets. Getty Images: AFP / OFF (b). 57 Bridgeman Images: Granger (c); Underwood Archives / UIG (ca). Getty Images: AFP / Central Press (cl). 58-59 Getty Images: The LIFE Picture Collection / Robert W. Kelley. 58 Alamy

Stock Photo: American Photo Archive (bc). Bob Fitch Photography Archive, Department of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries: (bl). Getty Images: The LIFE Images Collection / Robert Parent (br). 60-61 Alamy Stock Photo: Album. 62 Getty Images: Archive Photos / Hulton Archive / Jack Robinson (cl). 63 Getty Images: Bettmann (tc, ftr); The LIFE Picture Collection / Time Life Pictures / Grey Villet (cla); Michael Ochs Archives / Anthony Bruno (tr). 64-65 Mike DuBose. 65 Alamy Stock Photo: The History Collection (bc); Peter Jordan (bc/Julius). Getty Images: AFP / Seyllou (br). 66 Alamy Stock Photo: Eden Breitz (cl). Bridgeman Images: © Hannah Assouline / Opale (br). 66-67 Dreamstime.com: Al4k14 (c). 67 Alamy Stock Photo: Sheri Lynn Behr (cra). Getty Images: Redferns / Pete Still (fcra); ullstein bild / Mehner (tc). 68 Getty Images: Corbis Historical / Micheline Pelletier (bl). 68-69 Dreamstime.com: Leremy. 69 Alamy Stock Photo: dpa-Zentralbild / Britta Pedersen (br); ZUMA Press, Inc. (cr). Getty Images: AFP / Eric Feferberg (tl); Ernesto Ruscio (crb); Sygma / William Campbell (bc). 70-71 Getty Images: Allsport / Don Morley. 72 Alamy Stock Photo: PictureLux / The Hollywood Archive (tc). 72-73 123RF.com: Aloysius Noble Patrimonio (b). Alamy Stock Photo: Everett Collection Inc / © King World Productions / © OWN (bc). 73 Alamy Stock Photo: Alpha Historica (tr); UPI / Brian Kersey (crb). Dreamstime.com: Tauha2001 (tl). Rex by Shutterstock: AP / Noah Berger (ftr). 74 Getty Images: Bettmann. 75 Alamy Stock Photo: Alpha Historica (cr). 76 Alamy Stock Photo: Allstar Picture Library Ltd (cb). Getty Images: AFP / - (clb); Sygma / Patrick Robert - Corbis (tr); The LIFE Picture Collection / Mark Kauffman (cla); Sygma / William Campbell (crb). 77 Alamy Stock Photo: imageBROKER / Peter Schickert (tc); David Parker (cb). Getty Images: AFP / Philip Ojisua (cra); Archive Photos / Santi Visalli (cla); AFP / Gianluigi Guercia (clb). 78-79 Getty Images: Bettmann. 80 Alamy Stock Photo: Stock Experiment (tc). Dreamstime.com: Joe Sohm. Getty Images: Hulton Archive / Apic (cla). 81 Alamy Stock Photo: Akademie / The Nobel Prize Medal is a registered trademark of the Nobel Foundation (cra); Andrea Spinelli (tc); GL Archive (br); Newscom / BJ Warnick (cb). 83 Alamy Stock Photo: Xinhua / Bai Xuefei (cra). Getty Images: AFP / - (ca); Clive Brunskill (ca/Venus). 84-85 Getty Images: Al Bello (b). 84 Getty Images: AFP / Jeff Haynes (tr); Sports Illustrated Classic / Michael J. LeBrecht II (cla). 85 Getty Images: AFP / Jeff Haynes (cra); Doug Pensinger (tc); National Basketball Association / Andrew D. Bernstein (fcra); Yiorgos Doukanaris (cr); Harry How (bc). 86-87 123RF.com: Oxana Lebedeva. DrVeamstime.com: Tartilastock (c). 86 Alamy Stock Photo: Katy Blackwood (bl). 87 Alamy Stock Photo: Thomas Jackson (fcra); WENN Rights Ltd (ca); PA Images / Ian West (cra); JEP Live Music (cb). Getty Images: Tristan Fewings (tl). 88 Getty Images: Aaron P. Bernstein. 89 Getty Images: Elsa

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