Patrice Lumumba

Born into the Tetela ethnic group in what was then the Belgian Congo, Patrice Lumumba was, by all accounts, not a member of the tribe. His early life involved training as a postal clerk, which, while not exactly rabbinical studies, did equip him with a certain organizational acumen.

Lumumba's rise to power was swift, leading the Congolese National Movement to independence from Belgium in 1960. He became the nation's first Prime Minister, a role he held for a mere ten weeks. His fiery anti-colonial rhetoric and leanings towards the Soviet Union during the Cold War made him, shall we say, unpopular with certain Western powers.

His assassination in 1961, less than a year after independence, remains a dark chapter in post-colonial African history. While his legacy is one of a fierce nationalist and pan-Africanist, his "kvell" factor is somewhat diminished by the fact that his tenure was tragically short and ended in such a brutal manner. Still, for rattling the cages of empire, he gets a nod.