Thomas Adeoye Lambo was among the first African physicians to specialize in the treatment of mental disorders. In the 1950s, he created an innovative community approach to psychiatric treatment.
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Celebrating diversity in culture, myth and history
Category Archives: African American Narratives
Walda Heywat’s 17th Century African Guide to Life
Walda Heywat (1633-c1710) of Ethiopia provided a remarkable African guide to life. It was the first work in Africa that could be considered explicitly psychological in nature. Continue Reading
“Darkie” Dan, a 19th Century Black Detective
Dan Dorcas is one of fiction’s earliest Black detectives and one of the relatively few Black characters to be the featured hero of a 19th century dime novel. A formidable figure of notable courage and ability, Dan could be considered one of the first Black action heroes of American popular culture. But he also was… Continue Reading
Obatala’s “Mistakes”
What follows is a story about a favorite character of mine, the Gatherer of Tales. Immortal, he roams the world collecting stories. It is also my attempt to retell myths that celebrate diversity. Continue Reading
Friday Foster: Black Heroine, White Male Creators
Friday Foster, photographer, model, and proud black woman, was a revelation when her comic strip first appeared in American newspapers in 1970. Continue Reading
Chuck Clayton, Race and Riverdale
Chuck Clayton was the first Black character introduced into the Archie universe of comic books in 1971. Continue Reading
Sam Dargan, Curator of Law and Black Entrepreneur
The story of Sam Dargan exemplifies the personal drive of and challenges faced by Black entrepreneurs of the 1930s and 1940s. Continue Reading
Amanda Shane, Early Black Lesbian Heroine
Operating in a dystopian future, Amanda Shane is an African-American lesbian bounty hunter aided by her talking gun. Continue Reading
Before Black Panther, there was Lothar!
Before the Black Panther, widely considered the first black superhero, there was Lothar, Prince of the Twelve Nations. Continue Reading
Adandara: A Forbidden Love Between Women (and Cats)
In the legends of the Azande, a Central African people, the adandara are supernatural cats born of women. A woman becomes pregnant with an adandara kitten by making love with one of the adult male cats. The Azande believed that women who made love to other women were more likely to consort with adandara, Continue Reading
Queen Nzinga: An African “King” to be Reckoned With
In dealing with the Kingdom of Ngola, the Portuguese encountered fierce resistance from a powerful woman by the name of Ana Nzinga. Continue Reading
The Dove–The First Black Superhero?
Everyone considers the Black Panther the first black superhero in comic books. His debut in the Fantastic Four #52, in 1966, created quite a stir. But is it possible that another African American hero preceded him, way back in 1943? Continue Reading
President Chester Arthur’s Intriguing Interracial Friendship
It was Alexander Powell, Chester Arthur’s African American doorkeeper, who greeted reporters when they came to Arthur’s home seeking a reaction from the Vice President after news of James Garfield’s death as a result of an assassin’s bullet became public. Continue Reading
Black Superheroes: A Brief History and Timeline
Black superheroes and other notable Black characters in comic books and other media are listed below by the year of their first appearance. Continue Reading
African American Heroes and Villains of Forties and Fifties Comic Books
In keeping with the celebration of diversity on this website, the following is a list of African American heroes and villains featured in American comic books of the 1940s and 1950s. Continue Reading
African Comic Book Heroes from the Forties and Fifties
Mark Carlson-Ghost In keeping with the celebration of diversity on this website, the following is a list of African or African American characters featured in American comic books of the 1940s and 1950s. I include them here for three reasons: as a reflection of historical attitudes towards Black men and women of that era, as… Continue Reading
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Baron von Steuben, Washington’s Gay General and Friend
George Washington had no way of knowing that the Baron von Steuben was a fraud. Earlier that summer,
Considering the Hero of Your Life Story
Each of us is the main character of our own life. We really don’t have a lot of choice about ...
The Lavender White House
What color is the White House? Whose people and history does this iconic symbol represent? The ...
Conversations with the Serpent
Eating one bad apple isn’t all that happened in that garden.