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60 UNKNOWN

BLACK

ACHIEVERS

The Stories of Black Excellence across the African diaspora, Africa, Europe and America.

Douglas Wavamunno  
DOUGLAS WAVAMUNNO
60 Unknown Black Achievers

60 UNKNOWN BLACK ACHIEVERS
by Douglas Wavamunno

Now available on Amazon & Waterstones

I am not a professional writer but out of curiosity I started collecting information and articles about black inventors, teachers, activists etc whilst at university in Scotland, it became apparent there was a canon of information to be read and shared, especially about black people that helped shape the world we live in. We live in a world with a myriad of ideas and achievements, These Men and Women, were part of the development of modern society (past and present) across Africa, Europe and the United States.

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Brian Gitta's Matibabu

“She pulled out a big needle and in that moment May screamed like crazy, you should have seen it Grandma,” Ada said. I was in pain too just from seeing it. “ But you weren't even in the room, how could you tell the size of the needle?” May questioned. This shushed …

Dec 13, 22
~ ANITA KOMUGISHA

The Father of Ice-cream

“So did you find the ice cream so tasty that you decided leaving the empty bowls on the table will attest to how good it was?” Grandma inquired. “ What are you teaching these kids of yours Sasha? I taught you better than that!!! But …

Dec 13, 22
~ ANITA KOMUGISHA

Vanessa Nakate's Voice

“ You did not just erase a photo. You erased a continent, ” said twenty-six-year-old, Ugandan climate activist, Vanessa Nakate, when the AP press cropped her out of the photo of young climate activists at the Davos forum in January 2020. And she was …

Nov 30, 22
~ ANITA KOMUGISHA

THE 60 UNKNOWN BLACK ACHIEVERS

The Stories of Black Excellence across the African diaspora, Africa, Europe and America.

David Adjaye
DAVID ADJAYE
1966 - Present
Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania
Ghanian British Architect. The First Black Recipient of Royal Gold Medal for Services to Architecture Notable Design.
Zaila Avant-Garde
ZAILA AVANT-GARDE
2007 - Present
Harve, USA
The young intellect and first black spelling champion of the Pioneer-Bee Spelling competition 2021.
Alicia Garza
ALICIA GARZA
1981 - Present
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Co-Founder of Black Lives Matter (BLM) Civil Rights Activist, Writer and Political Strategist.
David Diop
DAVID DIOP
1966 - Present
Paris, France
First African Winner-The International Booker Prize 2021. Writer and Literature Professor.
Octavia Butler
OCTAVIA BUTLER
1974 - 2006
Pasadena, CA, USA
A prize winning Black female writer, The First Science Fiction writer to be awarded the MacArthur Fellowship.
Ahmet Ali
AHMET ALI
1883 - 1969
Izmir, Turkey/Ottoman Empire
The first black pilot in history. The First African Pilot in the Ottoman Empire during World War 1.
Katherine Johnson
KATHERINE JOHNSON
1918 - 2020
Virginia, USA
Nasa Mathematician. The woman whose mathematical genius helped the USA fly to go into space.
-Alexander Dumas
ALEXANDER DUMAS
1802 - 1870
Villars-Cotterets, France
Writer of the World renowned The Three Musketeers whose works have been translated into many languages.
Mary Seacole
MARY SEACOLE
1805 - 1881
United Kingdom & Jamaica
Intrepid Traveller, Nurse and Business Woman who setup the "British Hotel" during the Crimean War.
Joseph Bologne
JOSEPH BOLOGNE
1745 - 1799
Guadeloupe, France
Creole virtuoso violinist, conductor of the leading symphony orchestra and classical composer in Paris.
Geoff Palmer
GEOFF PALMER
1940 - Present
Jamaica & Edinburgh/Scotland
Scientist/Human Rights activist/Author. He discovered the barley abrasion process as a researcher.
Miriam Benjamin
MIRIAM BENJAMIN
1861 - 1947
South Carolina, USA
Schoolteacher, Second black woman to receive a patent for the Gong & Signal chair for Hotels.
Lyda Newman
LYDA NEWMAN
(1865-1885) - Unknown
Ohio, USA
First African American Woman granted a patent, involved activist for women's suffrage, inventor of durable hairbrush.
Maggie Walker
MAGGIE WALKER
1864 - 1934
Richmond, Virgina, USA
Bank founder, Businesswoman, Teacher. The formidable first black woman to charter a bank and serve as it's president.
Garett Morgan
GARETT MORGAN
1879 - 1963
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
He is the reason we can all have access to food frozen and transported all year round to your local super markets.
Frederick Jones
FREDERICK MCKINLEY
1893 - 1961
USA
He is the reason we can all have access to food frozen and transported all year round to your local super markets.
Jan Matzeliger
JAN MATZELIGER
1852 - 1889
Suriname/Dutch
Patented inventor of the shoe lasting machine. He invented the standard shoe design we all wear.
Alessandro De'Medici
ALESSANDRO DE'MEDICI
1510 - 1537
Florence, Italy
The Black Medici. He was the first black prince in the dominant Medici empire of Florence, Italy.
Daisy Bates
DAISY BATES
1914 - 1999
Arkansas, USA
A champion for equal rights, the first black newspaper woman fighting for black civil rights.
Mark Dean
MARK DEAN
1957 - Present
Tenessee, USA
Inventor and Computer Engineer at IBM who invented The Printer and the first microcomputer.
Alexander Miles
ALEXANDER MILES
1838 - 1918
Ohio, USA
Patented Inventor (Lifts/Elevators) and Businessman: who saved lives by making elevators safer.
Thomas Jennings
THOMAS JENNINGS
1796 - 1856
New York, USA
Patented Inventor, Tradesman, Entrepreneur - Invented the forerunner to modern Dry Cleaning.
Henry Blair
HENRY BLAIR
1807 - 1860
Maryland, USA
Patented inventor (Corn Seed Planter), Revolutionary Farmer who made farming was made more productive.
Mae Jemison
MAE C. JEMISON
1956 - Present
Alabama, USA
Space Engineer, A Brilliant Black pioneer in NASA, The First Female African American Astronaut.
Bessie Coleman
BESSIE COLEMAN
1892 - 1926
Atlanta, USA
Native American Pioneer & Aviator. The First African American and First Native American Civil Aviator.
Chinua Achebe
CHINUA ACHEBE
1930 - 2013
Ogidi, Nigeria
Renowned Writer, Novelist, Poet and Critic-Described as the dominant figure in modern African literature.
Marie Van Brown
MARIE VAN BROWN
1922 - 1999
New York, USA
Nurse and Patented Inventor(The Home Security System). The woman who gave us home security/CCTV.
John Blanke
JOHN BLANKE
Unknown - Unknown
London, England
Black Trumpeter in the Courts of Henry VII and VIII during the Tudor times (16th Century England).
Phillip Emeagwali
PHILLIP EMEAGWALI
1954 - Present
Akure, Nigeria
Computer Genius, Computer Scientist and the Inventor of the World’s fastest (high-performance) computer.
Arthur Ashe
ARTHUR ASHE
1943 - 1993
Virginia, USA
Tennis Player, Activist. First and only Black man to win the prestigious Wimbledon Tennis Tournament.
Reginald Lewis
REGINALD LEWIS
1942 - 1993
Baltimore, USA
Financier, Lawyer and Philanthropist. First Black American to build a billion dollar company.
Louverture Toussaint
LOUVERTURE TOUSSAINT
1743 - 1803
Saint Domingue, Haiti
Haitian General, Prominent leader of the Haitian revolution. The first sucessful leader of a slave revolt in Haiti.
Florence Beatrice Price
FLORENCE B. PRICE
1887 - 1953
Arkansaw, USA
Classical Musician. The first Black African Woman to be recognised as a classical musician.
James Hemings
JAMES HEMINGS
1761 - 1801
Virginia, USA
Chef to Thomas Jefferson. The first African American classically trained chef in the French Art of Cuisine.
Bill Pickett
BILL PICKET
1870 - 1932
Texas, USA
Cowboy, Wild West show performer and actor who was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.
Henry Johnson
WILLIAM H. JOHNSON
1892 - 1929
North Carolina, USA
World War 1 Soldier. The First Black or White soldier to be awarded the Croix de guerre in World War 1.
Arthur Zang
ARTHUR ZANG
1987 - Present
Cameroon, Africa
IT Engineer, Inventor, Social Entrepreneur. He invented Africa's first ever CardioPad touch pad.
Benjamin Banneker
BENJAMIN BENNECKER
1731 - 1806
Baltimore, USA
Mathematician and Astrologer, Inventor-The Wooden Clock, Invented the first Wooden clock in the USA
Franz Fanon
FRANZ FANON
1925 - 1961
Fort-de-France, Martinique
French Psychiatrist and Political Philosopher whose works became influential in post-colonial studies.
George Bridgetower
GEORGE BRIDGETOWER
1778 - 1860
Biala Podlaska, Poland
Violin Soloist, Classical Violin Player. Black Violinist who played with Beethoven aged just 10 years old.
Thomas Downing
THOMAS DOWNING
1791 - 1866
Texas, USA
Abolitionist, Activist who built a restaurant empire based on oysters that served the movers and shakers of New York.
Juan Latino
JUAN LATINO
1518 - 1596
Baena, Spain
Afro-European Professor, Academic, Writer. He was a Spanish professor and poet in the 16th century.
Ngozi Okonjo
NGOZI OKONJO-IWEALA
1954 - Present
Ogwashi-Ukwu, Nigeria
African American Director. She is the first female leader/director of the World Trade Organization.
Isaac Murphy Burns
ISAAC MURPHY BURNS
1861 - 1896
Kentucky, USA
Black Jockey. The first jockey to be inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.
Mary Edmonia
MARY EDMONIA
1884 - 1907
NewYork, USA
Sculptor also known as "Wildfire". The African American Sculptor to achieve international recognition.
Wangari Maathai
WANGARI MAATHAI
1940 - 2011
Ithile, Kenya
Environmentalist, Writer, Political Activist who became the African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Selma Burke
SELMA BURKE
1900 - 1995
North Carolina, USA
African American Sculptor who was a member of the Harlem Renaissance best known for her Franklin Roosevelt portrait.
Onesimus
ONESIMUS
Unknown - Unknown
USA
African American Scientist. Onesimus inspired innoculation during a small pox break out in Boston.
James Forten
JAMES FORTEN
1766 - 1842
Philadelphia, USA
African American Abolitionist and Business man who helped change how boat sails could be made more effective.
Alice H. Parker
ALICE H. PARKER
1885 - 1920
New Jersey, USA
African American Inventor who is the patent holder of the central heating system using natural gas (gas furnace).
Micheal Caines
MICHEAL CAINES
1969 - Present
Exeter, United Kingdom
Afro-European Chef. The first Black chef to win Michelin star which is deemed to be the pinnacle of a Chef's career.
Jack Johnson
JACK JOHNSON
1878 - 1946
Texas, USA
American Boxer. The first African American world heavy-weight boxing champion in 1908 during the Jim Crow era.
William Kamkwamba
WILLIAM KAMKWAMBA
1987 - Present
Kasungu, Malawi
African Inventor, Engineer, Author who created a wind turbine that provided water and electricity for his village.
Sidney Poitier
SIDNEY POITIER
1927 - 2022
Florida, USA
African American Actor, Film Director, Diplomat who paved the way for other black actors around the world.
Paul Revere Williams
PAUL REVERE WILLIAMS
1894 - 1980
Los Angeles, California
Black American Architect who practiced in Southern California and designed homes of numerous celebrities.
Gen. Wladyslaw
GEN. WLADYSLAW
1769 - 1802
France
Afro-European General and Military Commander. He was a black Polish born military general.
Cheik Diop
CHEIKH ANTA DIOP
1923 - 1986
Tiahitou, Senegal
African Historian, Physicist. He was a writer and historian who inspired a generation of African thinkers.
Julia Chinn
JULIA CHINN
1790 - 1833
Kentucky, USA
African American enslaved woman who was a common law wife to future US Vice President.
Roy Allela
ROY ALLELA
1994 - Present
Kenya, Africa
Software Engineer, Innovator who invented the smart Sign-IO glove that translates sign langunage into speech.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Stories of Black Excellence across the African diaspora, Africa, Europe and America.

Douglas Wavamunno

Douglas Wavamunno

Born in Uganda, raised in the United Kingdom, educated from an early age in Scotland, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a master's degree in marketing. Having spent over 20 years working and traversing Europe as an executive for some of the world's leading IT publishing brands, the old saying 'there is a book in all of us' kicked in. This is his first book written, and it is a passion project based on scraps of paper collected since university days. The objective being to share the information to anyone who enjoys finding out unknowns, and ideally enlist the expression 'I didn't know that', and hopefully go on to share with friends and family. Having a passion for rugby, food and wine, there might be another book in there too.

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“I will marry when I want,” Grandma said. “ But grandma, you’re already married to grandpa. Isn’t it too late to talk about marriage given as you have grand babies? case in point” Ada said pointing at herself. Of course I could have done better than …

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~ ANITA KOMUGISHA

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