Black History Month and Ethiopia
By Andrew Laurence
Black History Month evolved from Negro History Week which was established in 1926 by the Harvard trained historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Due to a lack of information about the history of Africa and the African Diaspora in American textbooks, Black Americans had to take it upon themselves to document their struggles, successes and relationships with other black people around the world. When it comes to Ethiopia, a long standing history of inspiration and mutual assistance between Ethiopians and African Americans is an important reminder of from where we came to where we need to go.
Numerous references to Ethiopia in the Bible, such as (Psalm 68:31) “…Ethiopia shall stretch forth her hands unto God,” provides refuge and salvation for Negro slaves in America. During the American Revolutionary War, one African-American regiment proudly wears the appellation of “Allen’s Ethiopians,” named after Bishop Richard Allen, founder of the African Methodist Church in Philadelphia. Robert Alexander Young, a slave preacher, publishes The Ethiopian Manifesto. Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem would be named after the inspiration of Ethiopian merchants visiting in New York.
Phyllis Wheatley, the poet-laureate of colonial America, also makes use of this discourse as did Prince Hall, a Revolutionary War veteran and founder of the African Masonic Lodge. Drusilla Dunjee Houston, researcher and historian, writes the amazing book, Wonderful Ethiopians of the Ancient Cushite Empire. Frederic Douglas Jr. orates eloquently on the Negro problem alluding inspirationally to Ethiopia.
The decisive victory over Italy at Adwa cements Ethiopia’s independence from European colonialism and has a profound impact on the quest for dignity and respect for Africans throughout the world. Ethiopian inspired pan-African movements give hope to those seeking justice in the eyes of God and the world. Martin Delaney, Carter G. Woodson, John Jackson, Joseph Harris, and Edward Blyden are prolific scholars who write brilliantly on Ethiopia’s origin and history.
Dr. Alain Locke, the first African-American Rhodes Scholar, architect of the New Negro Movement and Howard University professor, encourages African-American artists to recognize and incorporate their African heritage within their work. Professor William Leo Hansberry and his student William Steen organizes the Ethiopian Research Council, forerunner of African American Studies. Joel A. Rogers publishes “The Real Facts about Ethiopia”. Paul Laurence Dunbar writes his poem “Ode to Ethiopia,” James Wells paints “Ethiopia at the Bar of Justice,” Pauline Hopkins writes “One Blood”, Langston Hughes writes “Call of Ethiopia”, Meta Fuller sculpts “Ethiopia Awakening,”, Fasil Dawit’s paints a piece for the 200th Anniversary of Abyssinian Baptist Church and Alemayehu Gebremedhin’s draws “Free at Last” These are just some of the better known examples of artists inspired by Ethiopian and African American relations.
Thinkers and scholars from William E. B. Dubois, editor of the influential Crisis Magazine, Sylvester Williams, C.L.R. James, Chancellor Williams, Walter Rodney, George Padmore, John Henri Clarke, Aime Cesaire and Willis Huggins build on these traditions of pan-Africanism and Ethiopianism. Marcus Garvey, Jamaican born activist, founds the United Negro Improvement Association in New York City boasting a membership in the millions. Garvey publishes the newspaper Negro World, charters a steamship called the Black Star Line, and leads a “back to Africa” movement inspired by the pride of an independent Ethiopia.
Dr. Melaku, the first Ethiopian to graduate with a medical doctorate from an institution in the United States, merges pro-Ethiopian organizations into a new Ethiopian World Federation in 1937. He launches the Ethiopian Review and the weekly paper Voice of Ethiopia. Rabbi Arnold Josiah Ford, Harlem’s African-American Jewish leader and musical director of the United Negro Improvement Association, composes the song “Ethiopia Awaken” that becomes the anthem for the Ethiopian World Federation, Ato Yima Deressa and Kantiba Gebru Desta recruit African Americans to help develop Ethiopia. Dr. Ephraim Issac becomes the first professor of African American Studies at Harvard.
Rabbi Ford with his wife Mignon and other African Americans would travel to Ethiopia in support of the cause of development. Daniel Alexander the first African American settles in Ethiopia, Col. John Robinson commands the Ethiopian Air Force against Italian aggression, Duke Ellington performs with Ethiopian jazz great Mulatu Astake. Dr. T. Thomas Fortune establishes the Medane Alem School for boys, Homer Smith edits in the Ethiopian Press Office, Helen and James Piper settle Shashemene, Dr. Leroy T. Walker, coaches the 1960 Ethiopian Olympic team, Activist Dick Gregory supplies food during the Ethiopian famine in the 1980’s, Will and Jada Smith, raise a million dollars for water wells in Ethiopia, Janet Bragg helps sustain Ethiopian students in the US, John B. West becomes Emperor Selassie’s personal physician and Chester Higgins photographs the country.
This Ethiopianism or pan-African spirit points the way for future African leaders such as Kwame Nkrumah, Patrice Lumumba, Haile Selassie, Sekou Toure, Leopold Senghor, Jomo Kenyatta, Julius Nyerere, Robert Mugabe, Nelson Mandela; and African-American activists Mary Mcleod Bethune, Paul Robeson, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Harry Belafonte, and Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture).
Many Ethiopian Americans have made their mark in the African American community such as Chef Marcus Samuelsson, owner of Red Rooster restaurant in Harlem, NY. Ethiopian Habtemariam, President of Universal Motown Records, Howard Univ. trained artist and Prof., Skunder Boghossian, Four Tops recording artist Abdul Feker, soul singer Wayna Wondwossen, Hip-Hop artists Elias Fulmore, Gabriel Teodros, Melkit Hedero, B. Sheba, Filmakers Negesst Likke and Haile Gerima, activist such as Yehararwerk Gashaw, anthroplogist Prof. William A. Shack and Dr. David Talbot, editor of the Ethiopian Herald newspaper.
Current and past African American political leaders are inspired by Ethiopian causes such as Congressman Mickey Leland, Congresswomen Maxine Waters, Sheila Jackson Lee, Barbara Lee, Congressmen Adam Clayton Powell Jr., Donald Payne, Ron Dellums, Gregory Meeks and John Conyers, Ambassador Andrew Young, Melvin Foote of Constituency for Africa, Randall Robinson, Danny Glover and Bill Fletcher Jr. of TransAfrica Forum, and Ambassadors to Ethiopia Irvin Hicks and Aurelia Brazeal to name just a few.
This is just the tip of the iceberg of influential Ethiopians and African Americans who have worked together in the common struggle for justice, freedom and unity in America and the world. It is important to know their contributions and continue to do the work needed to reach these lofty goals into the future.
(Primary Sources: The African American Registry, Institute of Ethiopian Studies, Shomburg Center for Research in Black Culture)