The Christmas holiday, a time typically associated with joy and festivity, held a complex and multifaceted significance for enslaved Africans across the Americas and the Caribbean. While some slaves embraced the brief moments of relaxation and celebration, others saw...
Lynching was one of the most brutal tools of racial terror in the United States, serving as a public spectacle of white supremacy and a tool of social control over African Americans. Between the late 19th century and well...
Ekwensu occupies a significant place in Igbo cosmology as the Alusi (deity) of war and trade. As a spirit associated with negotiation, bargains, and strategy, Ekwensu was both revered and feared for his ability to guide warriors in battle...
In colonial Maryland in 1681, a young Irish woman named Eleanor Butler, also known as Irish Nell, made a bold and controversial decision that would forever change her life. At just 16 years old, she defied societal norms by...
Among the Serer people of the Senegambia region, a profound creation story reveals a world brought into existence by Roog, a genderless and transcendent deity. Unlike many gods in global mythologies, Roog is both male and female, yet beyond...
Mary Lumpkin, a former enslaved woman, inherited the land housing Lumpkin’s Jail, a notorious slave facility infamous for its brutal treatment of enslaved Africans and its role in forced breeding for profit. Willed to her by Robert Lumpkin, her...
Margaret Crittendon Douglass was a white woman and former slaveholder, who was convicted and jailed in Norfolk, Virginia, for teaching Black children to read. Her story is a reminder of the brutal measures taken to suppress Black education during...
Henry Edward Clonard Keating, born on December 13, 1871, in Nova Scotia, was a military officer who served in the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF). His brief but intense career unfolded during the British colonial campaign in West...
The Tumbuka people are an ethnic group primarily found in southeastern Africa, particularly in Malawi, with communities in Zambia and Tanzania as well. Known for their rich cultural heritage and strong connection to traditional beliefs, the Tumbuka have a...
Koitalel Arap Samoei was a legendary figure and resistance leader among the Nandi people of Kenya, known for his courageous opposition to British colonial rule. In 1905, under the guise of a peace treaty, Koitalel was lured into a...
