Archive for the ‘History’ Category
Ethiopian & African American Relations: The Case of Melaku E. Bayen and John Robinson
May 21st, 2009 | 
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Seventy two years ago, African Americans of all classes, regions, genders, and beliefs expressed their opposition to and outrage over the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in various forms and various means.
The invasion aroused African Americans – from intellectuals to common people in the street – more than any other Pan-African-oriented historical events or movements had. It fired the imagination of African Americans and brought to the surface the organic link to their ancestral land and peoples.
1935 was indeed a turning point in the relations between Ethiopia and the African Diaspora. Harris calls 1935 a watershed in the history of African peoples. It was a year when the relations substantively shifted from symbolic to actual interactions.
The massive expression of support for the Ethiopian cause by African Americans has also contributed, in my opinion, to the re-Africanization of Ethiopia. This article attempts to examine the history of the relations between Ethiopians and African Americans by focusing on brief biographies of two great leaders, one from Ethiopia and another one from African America, who made extraordinary contributions to these relations.
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The Value of Education
Emperor Haile Selassie I
“Life is full of trials and tribulations, and man in his struggle to survive and guide his own destiny has to be prepared to meet its many challenges, particularly in our modern world.
Education can harness man’s immense potential and enable him to be better equipped in his lifelong pursuit so that he can utilize his strength and intellect to the highest use. Mankind has bene fited from this through the ages. Much as man has progressed in the scientific and technological fields, he has not made a parallel endeavor to enrich himself spiritually. The materialism of today is overriding the spiritual values to the extent that today we observe a lot of unrest and social upheavals which have become common phenomena the world over.
The Battle of Adwa
The Battle of Adwa took place on 1st and 2nd March 1896 at Adwa in northern Ethiopia. The Battle occurred at a time when European nations were engaged in the scramble for Africa.
Notably, at the Berlin Conference in 1884-85, Africa was divided up for the European nations to colonise and Ethiopia was awarded to the Italians, all Italy had to do was use its troops to take possession of Ethiopia. On the 2nd March 1896, united Ethiopian forces commanded by Emperor Menelik II defeated the Italian army at the Battle of Adwa. It was the first time an African nation had defeated a European power. The Ethiopian victory at Adwa prevented the Italians from colonising Ethiopia.
