Today's blog entry is from a guest that I had contacted after seeing a superbly written essay by him in commemoration of Patriots/Victory Day in Ethiopia. I found the essay to be very insightful, educational and timely. I agree with the author of the essay on the two major points he raised. First, due recognition has to be given to the key role Atse Haile Selassie played in liberation of Ethiopia and secondly present generation of Ethiopians have to be reminded the contributions of the black diaspora in the Western world in the fight against Italian aggression and later occupation of Ethiopia. The solidarity shown by our brother & sisters in America & the Caribbean before & during Italian invasion of Ethiopia is fascinating chapter of our common history which needs to be told more & more. When we celebrate Patriots/Victory day, in addition to remembering the resistance fighters' role & sacrifices we should also give due recognition to Atse Haile Selassie's role as well as the contributions of the black diaspora in the Western world. With kind of permission of the writer, this timely essay is reprinted here with accompanying audio-visuals & slight editorial change.
And each man shares
The strength derived
from head held high
As holds his head, the
King of Kings
Our symbol of a dream
That will not die.
Langston Hughes
May 5, 1966, on the 25th anniversary of Ethiopian Victory Day
The
Victory Day
Yesterday, at Victory Square, Ethiopia celebrated the 72ndanniversary of
victory against Fascist Italy. Once again Victory Day’s celebration closed without
mentioning the Commander in Chief of the war, Emperor Haile Selasie’s name.
This is the only Victory
Day that is celebrated without acknowledging the Commander in chief’s role. The
depriving of credit for the last 39 years which is due to the Emperor shows
nothing but the incivility of the Ethiopian politics.
Once again “God and
history will give judgment” when hate fades- away from a vista of politics so
that one day the Emperor’s good name will rise up on Victory Day in which He
made his famous speech: “Do not reward evil for evil. Do not commit any acts of
cruelty like those which the enemy committed against us.”
Even if it seems, the
Victory Day is separated from Victorious Emperor, however, the history of the
June 30, 1936 will not allow us to do so. The Emperor in a black cape walked
graceful through the white people column of assembly to challenge and win the
52 nations with their own diplomacy game. The challenge, one man against the 52
nations was a rematch of David vs. Goliath. A racket of boos, jeers, and
mockery that the Italian journalists made in the gallery punch us on the face
so that we will not sleep through history.
“I demanded
justice...and God and history will remember your judgment” the Emperor’s
statement 77 years ago in Geneva is very relevant in today’s Ethiopia. Once more the Emperor is demanding
justice. [See video clip of the speech below]
When we think of Victory
Day, we should also remember the Black people, in Diaspora, who voiced the
Ethiopian cause as their own cause. As the distinguished Black historian, John
Hope Franklin, had indicated, “When Ethiopia was invaded by Italy, the Negros protested with all the means at their command. Ethiopia was regarded as a Negro nation, and its distraction would
symbolize the final victory of the White man over the Negro. Almost overnight
all Negros became international minded.”
As the Ethiopia Patriots
marched to the battle field for defending their ancient Kingdom, likewise the
Black people in America and the Caribbean Islands did what they could in
order to keep the only freedom of flame that has been kindled.
Several Black’s
organizations from Harlem to Los Angles had responded to the rhythmic beat of
distant war drums of Ethiopia. Chicagoan John Robinson, an aviator who was
known as “the Brown Condor” fought the Fascist Italy in Ethiopia, as a true Ethiopian. After
independence, he became a trainer of the Ethiopian pilots. When he died in a
plain crash, the Emperor gave him the tile of Colonel in posthumous.
To list a few more among
the thousands of Black People who toiled for the Ethiopian cause during the
war: Dr Leo Hansberry, the director of the Ethiopian Research Council, in
Howard University, in which he disseminated information about Ethio-Italy
conflict, Professor Ralph Bunche who summarized and analyzed world-wide
articles on Ethiopia, both distinguished professors had won the Haile Selassie
First Prize Trust Award. Carter G. Woodson, distinguished editor of the Journal
of Negro History, who coined The Black History Week, which was later renamed
the Black History Month, focusing mainly on Ethiopia history, Reverend Adam
Clinton Powel, a pastor of the historical Abyssinian Baptist Church, who
preached about Ethiopianism- Ethiopia a land of Biblical reputation and where
goddesses loved to be- assured that the country will not be colonized. The long
list of volunteers willing to serve in the respective field of specialty is
more than this paper can hold.
Dr Malaku Bayen, a young
Medical student in Howard University, the
only Ethiopian in North America and his dear African-American wife Dorothy
Hadley, were responsible to convey the Ethiopian cause to Black people. Dr
Malaku is quoted in an interview to have stated: “if Abyssinia is convicted to
be invaded is because we are black, the America Black is therefore duty-bound
to support Abyssinia.” On the next
publication of the Pittsburg Courier which declared: “Anybody who wished to
serve as volunteers in the Imperial Ethiopian Army, you can register with
Malaku Bayen at his residence 1260 Columbia Road, Northwest Washington.”
Evidently, thousands of
men and women from thirty-eight states had come out to fight voluntarily. On
the other hand, however, The United States Department opposed the movement, by
declaring:
“United States’ Citizens cannot accept or exercise a commission to serve a foreign nation in war against a nation with whom the United States are at peace….if they do they shall be guilty of high misdemeanor and shall be fined not more than $ 2,000 and imprisoned not more than 3 years.”
The Blacks defied the
government’s decision and continued to protests and appeal to the League of Nations, the British government, and
American Officials. They also boycotted Italian products and had campaigned to
raise both financial contributions and volunteers for Red Cross.
In 1935, as the Italy army crossed the border of Ethiopia in the Eastern province,
Ogaden, the African- Americans, in New York, had predicted the winner of the war through a famous
Boxing matched between Joe Louis (African American) and Primo Carnera (Italian
American).
.JPG)
When Joe Louis knocked
out 6’6’’, 265-pound former World Heavy Weight Champion Primo Carnera, in the
sixth round had seen as a good omen, Haile Selassie knocked out the Fascist’s
leader, Benito Mussolini.
The name of Haile
Selassie was and is used as the metaphor for a fight and conquering against all
odds.
Dr Malaku who came from
the war front was sent to New York as a Deputy in
1937 to coordinate the effort of Black People struggle in North American and
the Caribbean Islands was able to establish
the first international organization called, the Ethiopia World Federation,
which achieved meritorious task.
As the Ethiopian
Patriots fought at home, the members of the Ethiopia World Federation were
struggling in America, the Caribbean Islands, Mexico, and Cuba to shift their countries policy and to win the
conscious of peace loving people the world over.
Mildred Houston of New York, a young black woman, who contacted
more than one thousand people within two weeks to inform a manifesto of the
Ethiopia World Federation, should also be remembered. This young woman was the
first person to establish the first branch of the Ethiopia World Federation outside
the US. There were of course many who provided
priceless support for the Ethiopia World Federation; i.e., Miss Aida Bastian,
and Miss Eudora Paris who returned from Ethiopia were among the more prominent. They were also among the first
female who answered to the call of Marcus Gravey, “Back to Africa Movement”
until they were disrupted by the Italian invasion.
When Ethiopia won the war, instantly Blacks gained a self pride in America, despite de jure segregation in schools,
on bus, and at drinking fountains. The Ethiopian affair had not stopped at
victory; it had gone further to advance the Pan-African sentiment throughout
the world. The struggle of the Lion of Judah which temporally fell only to rise
up triumphantly was used as a recipe for a fight- back against Colonialism and
Racism.
Unlike the European
Victory Day, Ethiopia’s Victory is
indeed a victory of a small and Black Nation against a Big Colonizer. The
Victory of Ethiopia is a victory of Black and Oppressed people all over the
world.
During this year’s
celebration in Ethiopia and abroad, Ethiopians, friends of Ethiopia, and peace loving people all over the
world have voiced against the erection of a statue of the Fascist General,
Randolph Grazzani. They said the erection of the statue in Italy is not only an insult, but it also a glorification of a war criminal.
Gerazzani who is known
as the butcher of Addis and responsible criminal for the death of 30 thousand
people in Addis Ababa alone, three hundred monks in St Debre- Lebanos
monastery, and bombing, and killing over a million more people and destroying
animals and wealth, burning thousands of churches and homes, in his five years
of reign of terror.
It is high time for Ethiopia to remember the Emperor’s contribution to its independence,
development, and to establish high prestige in the international arena.
We should not forget
that the ignominious Derge regime, Low Ranking Military Officers, and
Communists- miss- educated students, for years vainly tried to destroy the
legacy of the Emperor. The civility of Ethiopia politics is measured by
its fairness towards Emperor Haile Selassie, a champion of international
morality, who fought Slavery, Feudalism, Fascism, Colonialism, Imperialism, and
Racism.
Last but not least, when
we celebrate Victory Day, we should not forget the necessity of erecting the Emperor’s statue in Addis Ababa- a Statue
worthy of His name. This will help the Nation to repent and to reconcile with
itself.
Happy VD
May 6, 2013
May 6, 2013