Amadou Hampaté Ba was born in 1901 in Bandiagara, Mali. He was a writer, known for
Les oiseaux blancs, les oiseaux noirs (2003),
Koumen (1979) and
Civilisations (1969). He was married to Hélène Heckmann. He died on May 15, 1991 in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.