65 African Icons Every Black Person Should Know

Former South African President Nelson Mandela Former president of Ghana Kwame Nkrumah Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. Picture: REUTERS President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe Former president of Tanzania Julius Nyerere Pan-African hero Patrice Lumumba Former South African President Thabo Mbeki Ghanaian diplomat Kofi Annan Anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko Activist Winnie Mandela, former wife of Nelson Mandela Zulu king and military genius Shaka Zulu Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe, author of classic Things Fall Apart Nigerian novelist, poet and professor Chinua Achebe Former emperor of Ethiopia and leader of the Rastafarian faith Haile Selassie Pan-Africanist theorist and former president of Burkina Faso Thomas Sankara Liberian footballer and political activist George Weah Former president of Zambia Kenneth Kaunda Senegalese writer and one of Africa’s greatest historians Cheikh Anta Diop Cameroonian footballer Roger Milla Botswana’s first president, Sir Seretse Khama Ancient Egyptian engineer and architect Imhotep Former president of Guinea Ahmed Sekou Toure Senegalese poet, politician and cultural theorist Leopold Senghor Nigerian intellectual and writer Wole Soyinka Mozambican athlete Maria Mutola Former queen of Ejisu, Ghana, Yaa Asantewaa Political leader Amilcar Cabral Kenyan political leader Dedan Kimathi Nigerian musician Fela Kuti Nigerian writer and activist Ken Saro Wiwa Nigerian scientist Philip Emeagwali Former president of Mozambique Samora Machel Kenya’s first president, Jomo Kenyatta President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni South African singer Miriam Makeba Queen Nzinga, ruler of the Mbundu people of Angola Former president of Uganda, Milton Obote Nigerian footballer Jay Jay Okocha Former Nigerian head of state Nnamdi Azikiwe Academic professor and political writer Ali Mazrui Ghanaian doctor Felix Konotey-Ahulu South African anti-apartheid politician Oliver Tambo Ghana footballer Abedi Pele South African anti-apartheid activist Walter Sisulu Senegalese musician Youssou N’Dour Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt Akhenaten Former Malian President Alpha Oumar Konare Ancient military leader Hannibal Namibian political activist and leader Chief Hosea Kutako Former Nigerian statesman Obafemi Awolowo Zimbabwean musician and human rights activist Oliver Mtukudzi Nigeria’s first prime minister, Tafawa Balewa Sixteenth century scholar, intellectual and prolific writer Ahmed Baba Kenyan politician Tom Mboya Namibian chief and great military strategist Hendrik Witbooi South African surgical pioneer Hamilton Naki South African trumpeter and jazz musician Hugh Masekela Congolese musician Luambo Makiadi Cameroon saxophonist Manu Dibango Egyptian Queen Nefertiti Afro-pop singer-songwriter from Mali, Salif Keita Liberian politician William Tubman Powerful Ethiopian monarch Queen of Sheba Former president of Cote d’Ivoire Felix Houphouet Boigny South African anti-apartheid Afro-pop singer Brenda Fassie The great king of the old Mali Empire Mansa Musa South African religious leader and political activist Desmond Tutu