Those within the Mapping Migration Digital Repository (MMDR) are those of African descent that resided in the Altantic World from 1500 CE to the present. These men and women contributed to the African Diaspora historical landscape in many ways. While these actors are associated with those promoted within different national narratives, their critical role in historical events has not yet been fully explored.
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Yasuke (?-1582)
Yasuke was a man of African descent originally from Mozambique who traveled to Japan in the 15th century. He is documented as the first black samurai. -
Pierre Toussaint (1781-1853)
Famous Haitian barber in New York City during the 1800s. -
General Abram Petrovich Gannibal (1697-1781)
Former Enslaved individual who became a Russian Army General. -
William Craft (1824-1900)
Self-Emancipated abolitionist and author in the United Kingdom. -
Ellen Craft (1826-1891)
Self-emancipated with her husband and moved to the United Kingdom. -
Sundiata Keita (1210-1255)
Founder and first ruler of the Mali Empire. -
Kenneth Clark (1914-2005)
Kenneth Clark was a famous African American Psychologist. -
Mamie Clark (1917-1983)
Mamie Clark was a famous African American social psychologist. -
Edward P. McCabe (1850-1920)
Founded the city of Langston, Oklahoma for African Americans. -
Diego "el Mulatto" Grillo (1610-1673)
Self-Emancipated seventeenth-century privateer. -
The Brookes (1781-1804)
Prominent maritime vessel that transported enslaved Africans. -
Alessandro De' Medici (1510-1537)
Alessandro De’ Medici was the first Black Duke of Florence. -
Frederick Douglass (1818-1895)
Self-emancipated abolitionist writer, public speaker, and diplomat. -
North African Migration to Spain (1998-2023)
An increase in migration patterns from North Africa into Spain. -
Olaudah Equiano (1745-1797)
18th century abolitionist and author -
Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960)
Prominent author and playwright in the Civil Rights movement. -
Louis Armstrong (1901-1971)
Louis Armstrong was a jazz music pioneer and icon -
W.E.B. DuBois (1868-1963)
Civil rights activist and leader who co-founded the NAACP. -
Abraham Galloway (1837-1870)
African-American Union Spy and North Carolina State Senator -
Marcus Garvey (1887-1940)
An influential leader who fought for racial equality. -
Leonard Percival Howell (1898-1981)
Rastafarian movement leader and black nationalism activist. -
Robert Johnson (1911-1937)
The Grandfather of Rock Music -
Malcolm X (1925-1965)
Civil Rights activist during the 1950’s and 60’s. Jackson Haralson's Project -
Malcolm Little (1925-1965)
Leader against racial injustice. RJ Jordan's Project -
Bob Marley (1945-1981)
Bob Marley, is known as one of the fathers of Reggae. -
Claude McKay (1889-1948)
Jamaican born poet influential in the Harlem Renaissance. -
Toni Morrison (1931-2019)
Notable African American 20th & 21st Century poet & writer. -
Emmett Till (1941–1955)
A young boy whose murder helped spark the Civil Rights era. -
Nat Turner (1800-1831)
Enslaved carpenter who led a major slave revolt in the 1800s. -
Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784)
The first published African American female author.
As the Mapping Migration Digital Repository (MMDR) is a student led project, there may be mistakes in some of the entries. While all students are encouraged to correct their work following submission, some choose to not make updates to their entries. As a result, if you are conducting research on these historical actors, do not solely rely on the research of this site and please consult additional primary and secondary sources.