Independent research archive · since 2012
Sourced history from Africa and its diaspora.
Researched articles on African and diaspora history. Each one lists the sources behind it, and says plainly where the record is disputed.
Written and edited by Princewill Ubani. Read our sourcing methodology and corrections log.
Featured article Arthur Wharton, the World's First Black Professional Footballer Arthur Wharton, born in the Gold Coast in 1865, became the world's first Black professional footballer and set a 100-yard sprint… Featured Articles
Full, sourced research from the archive.
Haiti's 1804 Independence: The World's First Black Republic
On January 1, 1804, Haiti declared independence after defeating French forces, becoming the first nation founded by a successful revolt of enslaved people.
Why Ghana's Flag and Football Team Both Bear a Black Star
Ghana's flag and its national football team, the Black Stars, both honor Marcus Garvey's Black Star Line, the diaspora shipping venture Kwame Nkrumah revived.
How DNA Testing Traced Isaiah Washington and Coretta Scott King to Sierra Leone's Mende People
DNA testing linked actor Isaiah Washington and Coretta Scott King's family to the Mende of Sierra Leone. Washington later became a citizen of Sierra Leone.
Toussaint Louverture: The Life of Haiti's Revolutionary Leader
Toussaint Louverture rose from enslavement to lead the Haitian Revolution, dying in a French prison in 1803, a year before the independence he made possible.
Julius Nyerere's Death and His Role in Southern Africa's Liberation Struggles
Julius Nyerere, Tanzania's founding president, died October 14, 1999. He spent the 1970s as a leading Frontline States diplomat backing liberation movements.
Mansa Musa's 1324 Pilgrimage to Mecca
Mansa Musa's 1324 hajj through Cairo spread so much gold that it reportedly disrupted the region's economy for years and put Mali on European maps.
Researched Histories
Full histories, fully sourced.
The African Diaspora in the Caribbean and the Americas: A History
The history of the African diaspora in the Caribbean and Americas: the transatlantic…
HistoryIndependence Movements & Decolonization: How Africa Broke Free from Colonial Rule
A complete guide to African decolonization: the causes, key dates, leaders like Nkrumah…
HistoryAfrican Kingdoms & Empires: The Great States of Precolonial Africa
A guide to Africa's great precolonial kingdoms and empires (Mali, Songhai, Great…
HistoryPan-Africanism and the Civil Rights Movement: A Shared Freedom Struggle
The history of Pan-Africanism and its deep two-way ties to the US Civil Rights movement,…
On this day in African history
Real events, births and milestones from Africa and the diaspora, researched and verified for every day of the year.
Figures in the archive
Leaders, activists, writers and resistance figures from across Africa and the diaspora.
Denis Mukwege Wins the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize 
Toussaint Louverture: The Life of Haiti's Revolutionary Leader 
The 1966 Coup That Overthrew Ghana's Kwame Nkrumah 
The 1966 Coup Against Nkrumah and the Disputed Question of US Involvement 
The Death and Lasting Legacy of Bob Marley 
The Union of African States: Ghana, Guinea, and Mali's Attempt at Federation Browse by Era
Six eras spanning ancient African civilizations to the present day.
The full archive
Search the complete corpus of 3,838 entries, including material not yet developed into full articles.
About this archive
Provenance Africa researches and publishes the history of Africa and its diaspora, working from academic monographs, archival records and reported journalism, with the sources for each piece listed on the piece itself. The work began in 2012 as @OnlyAfricaFacts; this site is where it is sourced, cited and kept.
Read more →