Author: Catherine Wambui

Paul Laurence Dunbar, a novelist, African-American poet, and playwright, significantly contributed to Black History and American literature. Living for a brief 33 years, Paul was a pioneer of sorts. He…

Fannie Lou Hamer was one of the most dedicated civil rights activists in African American history and is mostly remembered for her unceasing effort to desegregate the Mississippi Democratic Party.…

Ernest Everett Just has made great contributions to black history. If there’s one thing he’s remembered for, it’s the fact that he was the first African American to become a…

A professor, Pan-Africanist writer, and historian, John Henrik Clarke, is credited with redressing the distorted view of African history by traditional scholars. Clarke noticed the systematic and racist erosion of…

At a time when slavery defined African Americans and education was reserved for white folks, Mary McLeod Bethune was a pioneer in the education of Black people. McLeod Bethune was…

Prince Hall was a prominent leader, who helped shape African American history. He is particularly remembered as the founding father of the Prince Hall Freemasonry in the United States. His…

Romare Bearden was a factotum of sorts, juggling between songwriting, artistry, designing, and writing. Unlike previous artists, he was born during the New Negro period, a time when the society…

August Wilson remains one of the greatest playwrights in American and Black history, as no other playwright has developed such an ambitious oeuvre. He is remembered for writing a series…

Sojourner Truth’s story is one of hope, resilience, and strong resolve for better days. Born as Isabella Baumfree to enslaved parents in 1797, she experienced what it meant to work…

Adam Clayton Powell Jr is hailed for making significant contributions to black history. He was the first African American from New York to serve in Congress, a position he held…