People, Locations, Episodes

Slavery in Africa, a story

African Slavery in the 21st century is the subject of this date’s Registry. Yes, slavery of black Africans still continues. Currently, Arab-Berbers in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania continue to carry out the centuries-old practice of enslaving black Africans.

Henrique of Portugal, Slave Trader born.

*Henrique of Portugal, Duke of Viseu, was born on this date in 1394. Known as Prince Henry the Navigator, he was a white Portuguese slave trader and a central figure in the early days of the Portuguese Empire. Henry was the third surviving son of King John I and his wife Philippa, sister of King […]

Nuno Tristão, Slave Trader and Explorer born

*The birth of Nuno Tristão is affirmed on this date in 1390. He was a 15th-century Portuguese explorer and slave trader. He was born in the Portuguese city of Porto and was the son of a wealthy merchant. Tristão was educated in the arts and sciences and was an avid sailor from a young age. […]

Black History and Colonialism, a story

*Black history and modern colonialism are affirmed on this date in 1415. The Ancient historical phenomenon of colonization stretches around the globe and across time. The Phoenicians, Greeks, Turks, and Arabs practiced age-old and medieval colonialism. Colonialism, in the modern sense, began in the 15th century with the “Age of Discovery.” The Portuguese were expansionists […]

Black Hair Care and Its Culture, a story

This date is Hairstylist Appreciation Day and The Registry looks briefly at African American hair.

The history of “Black Hair and Beauty Culture” mirrors the intricacy of both African and American cultures. Over the years, African American hair has been associated with the ideology of white visual conception. Some people say that blacks have embraced hairstyles and beauty methods that reflect popular European standards of beauty. However, Blacks have used their West African roots and their own artistry to create styles and standards that reflect a unique black culture.

The Society of Merchant Ventures is Founded

*The Society of Merchant Ventures was celebrated on this date in 1442. It is a British charitable organization in the English city of Bristol. The society can be traced back to a 13th-century guild that funded John Cabot’s voyage to Canada. The society had its first Royal Charter in 1552 and for centuries had been […]

The Fort of Arguin is Built

*The Fort of Arguin is celebrated on this date in 1443. This was a slave fort island off the western coast of Mauritania in the Bay of Arguin. The first European to visit the island was the Portuguese explorer Nuno Tristão. In 1445, Prince Henry the Navigator set up a trading post on the island, which acquired […]

Christopher Columbus, Explorer born

*The birth of Christopher Columbus is estimated to be on this date in 1451.  He was a white-Italian explorer, navigator, and slave trader of African and indigenous people.  He was from the territory of the Republic of Genoa (now part of modern Italy).  His father was Domenico Colombo, a wool weaver who worked in Genoa […]

Pedro Niño, Navagator born

*Pedro Niño’s birth is celebrated on this date in 1455. He was an African-Spanish navigator and explorer. Pedro Alonso Niño was born in Moguer, Spain; he was of mixed heritage of African and Spanish. His father was one of the sailors Captured at Elmina. According to The History of Elmina, it was the first African city […]

‘Soul Food’ in America, a story

*This dates Registry from 1492, offers a brief article on the origins of Soul food.

Hernando de Soto, Slave Trader, and Explorer born

*The birth of Hernando de Soto, who was born on this date in 1496, is affirmed. He was a Spanish explorer, slave trader, and conquistador involved in the Middle Passage.   His expeditions in Nicaragua and the Yucatan Peninsula included the conquest of the Inca Empire in Peru. He led the first European expedition deep into […]

Saint Helena, Slave Port Discovered

*On this date in 1502, the island of Saint Helena was discovered. Founded by the Portuguese Armada, it is a remote British overseas territory. Saint Helena is a volcanic and tropical island in the South Atlantic Ocean, some 1,165 miles west of mainland Africa. Geographically, Angola and Namibia are the closest nations. Between January and May […]

John Rolfe, Businessman, and Slave Owner born

*John Rolfe’s birth is celebrated on this date in 1585. He was a white English slave owner, tobacco planter, and member of the American colonial First Family of Virginia. John Rolfe, son of John Rolfe and Dorothea Mason, was born in Heacham, Norfolk, England, and baptized on May 6, 1585. At that time, Spain held a […]

Plantations in the United States of America, a story

*Plantations in America are affirmed on this date in 1600. These were planned structural communities governed by and that relied on chattel slavery.  The plantation complex in the Southern United States was the built environment that was common on agricultural plantations in the Antebellum South from the 17th into the 20th century. The complex included everything […]

The East India Company (EIC) is founded

*On this date, 1600, the East India Company (EIC) was founded.  This Slave labor business was an English, and later British, joint-stock company. The East India Company was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies and later with East Asia. The company gained control of large parts of the […]