Passion or Profession: First Black Moor Presidential Candidate

Period: 1943–

Messaoud Ould Belkheir rose to national and international prominence in 2003 when he became the first Black Moor to run for president in a society traditionally dominated by Arabs. A former slave himself, Ould Belkher long campaigned for an end to the secretive practice of slavery in Mauritania. However, he ran into trouble when his political party was banned and he gained only a bit more than one percent of the vote.