What is a hero? A hero is a person who is admired for their courage, successes, and honorable ideals and talents. The list of African heroes is long however, Kwame Nkrumah, Patrice Lumumba, Wangari Maathai, Steve Biko, Nelson Mandela and Jomo Kenyatta are six black African heroes from Africa's history who have changed the course of Africa.