1922 — The Birth of Joseph Ki-Zerbo

On June 21, 1922, Joseph Ki-Zerbo was born in Toma, Upper Volta, now Burkina Faso. The child born that day in a small town would grow into a scholar whose work reached classrooms and readers far beyond his homeland, reshaping how a continent understood and taught its own past.

He became one of Africa's greatest historians: a professor, parliamentarian, and tireless champion of African-led history-writing. His works, including the landmark History of Black Africa, helped decolonize the continent's past and put African voices at the center of African history. His argument was simple and radical: Africans should tell Africa's story themselves, from their own evidence.