In 1917, a Black man named Charles Henry Holmes (pen name Clayton Adams) wrote a book entitled Ethiopia, The Land of Promise: A Book With A Purpose. The book was a novel best described as visionary prophetic fiction. In the book, five Black men had strange dreams which caused them all to meet together on May 5. One of the dreams pictured Black soldiers and a red, gold and green flag. The men began meeting on the fifth of every month and realized that their dream was about forming an organization, the Ethiopian Union, in order to combat and conquer Jim Crowism in America.

The events in the book actually came true. Black soldiers in Ethiopia and all over the world gathered together as the Ethiopian Emperor left on May 5, 1936 to fight the Battle of Armageddon. After exactly five years of battle, on May 5, 1941, the Ethiopian Emperor returned to Ethiopia victorious. He then set up the Ethiopian Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, calling it The Organization of African Unity (OAU).

Below is the most amazing story how all of this happened, exactly as the Ancestors revealed it Charles Henry Holmes (pen name Clayton Adams) who prophesied it in the book:

That same year, Robert Athlyi Rogers, another Black man, also produced a pamphlet called The Negro Map of Life and began travelling across the United States preaching “the law of Ethiopian’s redemption.”

Two years later, in 1919, Regent Plenipotentiary Ras Tafari sent four ambassadors by way of the ocean, to the United States. The Royal Ethiopian Mission included Dedjamatch Nadao, Empress Zauditu’s nephew and Commander of the Imperial Army, Ato Belanghetta Herouy Wolde Sellasie, Mayor of Addis Ababa, Ato Kantiba Gabrou, Mayor of Gondar, and Ato Sinkas, Secretary of the Commander of the Imperial Army. Their purpose was to renew a Treaty of Friendship with the United States signed by Emperor Menelik in 1904. In honor of their visit, the Ethiopian Flag was ceremoniously hoisted over the White House.

During the Ethiopian Mission, the bloodiest race riot in Chicago’s history erupted on July 27, 1919. Eugene Williams, a young black boy, drowned at the 29th Street Beach after a rock thrown by George Stauber, a young white boy, knocked Williams from a raft. The Ethiopian Prince Nadao, who stated he had seen the Chicago Defender newspaper in Ethiopia, told one of their reporters “[Ethiopians] dislike brutality, burning at the stake, lynching of any nature, and other outrages handed upon [the African American] people …. Fight on, don’t stop!”

Before the Ethiopian Mission ended, an invitation to return (“Repatriate”) to Ethiopia was made to Rabbi Arnold Ford. That the offer of repatriation was given to him was extremely significant because Rabbi Ford was leader of the Hebrew Israelites (“Black Jews”) of Harlem. In this capacity, he would be able to resettle the existing remnant of Israel that was captured in the slave trade. In addition, Rabbi Ford was the musical director of Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). Given that the UNIA was the largest, greatest organization of the scattered Ethiopians/Africans, it makes perfect sense to make the offer to the UNIA. Finally, as musical director, Rabbi Ford could use the traditional, spiritual medium of song (psalms, hymns), to communicate the Ethiopian message to the mass of black people scattered in north, south and central America, including the Caribbean. This Rabbi Ford did. It is, therefore, no coincidence that Rabbi Ford gave the UNIA “The Universal Ethiopian Anthem”, later to be used by the Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated (EWF). The Rastafari Family Worldwide still sings the anthem at its gatherings.

On December 20. 2019, the Chicago Defender wrote, “Planning for Abyssinians – On January 27 (1920) the King of Abyssinia will be crowned and then he will appoint his representatives who will accompany the prince here to resume commercial trade with the United States. This is what St. Bishop J.A. Hickerson, himself a native Abyssinian, told a Defender reporter who interviewed the bishop at the parish house of the church which they term the Ethiopian National Church, 62 E. 123rd Street. The Bishop, who was attired in silken robes of the Abyssinians, said the queen of the African country had retired from the throne in conformity with the rule laid down by the Queen of Sheba. The committee is planning a wonderful reception to the Crown Prince and his followers when they finally reach this country.”

During the same year as the Ethiopian Mission, a Black man from Chicago named revered James Morris Webb published a treatise entitled A Black Will Be the Coming Universal King, Proven By Biblical History. Reverend Webb’s prophecies were based on the fourth Chapter of Micah, the third chapter of Habakuk, and the third chapter of Joel.

Another black man named Grover Redding who lived in Chicago and witnessed the visit of the Ethiopian Mission, began to preach that the visit of the four Ethiopian Ambassadors was the actual, literal fulfillment of Psalms 68:31

“Princes shall come out of Egypt, Ethiopia shall soon stretch forth her hands unto god.”

Redding also preached that the Ethiopian Mission fulfilled Isaiah 18:1-7

“Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia: That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning, hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled! All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. For so the Lord said unto me, I will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the hear of harvest . . . . In that time shall the present be brought unto the Lord of hosts of a people scattered and peeled, and from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled, to the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, the mount Zion.” (Isaiah 18:1-7).

Had not princes come out of Ethiopia? Didn’t four ambassadors arrive to the land shadowing with wings (of the American Eagle), which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia? Were not the Black people scattered and downtrodden, sold on auction blocks upon arrival and terrible since their beginning in this spoiled land? Wasn’t an ensign (flag) raised above the nation’s capital in honor of the swift messengers?

The prophet Zephaniah revealed to Redding the interpretation of the Ethiopian Mission and the meaning of Isaiah. Redding preached:

“Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!...Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy. For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.

In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain. I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame. At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord.

This fulfillment of prophecy inspired the faith of Grover “The Prophet” Redding to start working. He began to organize “Ethiopians”, my suppliants, even the daughter or my dispersed, an afflicted and poor people, sorrowful, to whom the reproach of it was a burden, to gather them for the solemn assembly, to the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, the mount Zion. The name of the Prophet Redding’s organization: The Star Order of Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Mission to Abyssinia.

The Prophet Redding studied the Treaty of Friendship that the Ethiopian Ambassadors renewed with the United States. According to the treaty:

ARTICLE I.

The citizens of the two Powers, like the citizens of other countries, shall be able freely to travel and to trans-act business throughout the extent of the territories of the two contracting Powers, while respecting the usages and submitting themselves to the tribunals of the countries which they may be located.

ARTICLE II.

In order to facilitate commercial relations, the two Governments shall assure, throughout the extent of their respective territories, the security of those engaged in business therein and of their property.

ATICLE III.

The two contracting Governments shall reciprocally grant to all citizens of the United Stated of America and to the citizens of Ethiopia all the advantages which they shall accord to other Powers in respect to Customs duties., imposts and jurisdiction….”

To Prophet Redding, the treaty revealed two very important truths:

1. Ethiopian citizens were to be accorded rights and privileges that he, as a Black man, descended from Africans brought to America against their will in chains aboard slave ships, was barred by Jim Crow laws and customs;

2. Ethiopia in the future, planned greater contact with the United States for commercial purposes.

Thus, on the one hand, the Prophet Redding, seeking to escape his second class “Jim Crow” status and condition, saw salvation in “Ethiopian Citizenship”. As an “Ethiopian” he and others would be able “freely to travel and to trans-act business throughout the extent of the territories” with the “security of those engaged in business therein and of their property.” Therefore, Prophet Redding sought to renounce his American “Jim Crow” Negro status and become a citizen of Ethiopia, pledging allegiance to the Government of Ras Tafari.

On the other hand, biblical prophecy said that the Ethiopian Ambassadors would come to announce the return of the scattered Ethiopians to Zion. Therefore, reasoned Prophet Redding, salvation in this lifetime meant becoming “Ethiopian” to escape Jim Crow. The Star Order of Ethiopia in Chicago would gather the scattered Ethiopians to wait on the Lord for their return, all the while preparing themselves for business in Ethiopia. For one dollar ($1.00) the Star Order of Ethiopia provided an Ethiopian flag, a small pamphlet containing a prophecy relating to the return of the black-skinned people to Africa, a copy of the treaty between the United States and Ethiopia, and a picture of Ras Tafari. The pamphlet quoted Zephaniah 3:8-10, Isaiah 18 and Psalms 68:30-31 and published the following message on their membership application:

“This is to certify that my name was given to Elder Grover Redding, Missionary to Abyssinia, to show my brothers in my motherland that I am with them, heart and soul. . . . I have signed my name as an Ethiopian in America in sympathy with our motherland Ethiopia. I henceforth denounce the name Negro which was given me by another race.”

Membership entailed signing the application that committed oneself to return to “my motherland of Ethiopia” in order to fill one of forty-four positions such as electrical engineer, mechanical craftsman, civil engineer, architect, chemist, sign-painter, cartoonist, illustrator, traffic manager, teacher, auto-repair, agriculture and poultry-raising.

At this point, the applicant declares himself ready at any time needed to fill any positions in the list, which he has checked and which he is qualified to fill. Blank space appears then for name, address, present occupation, city, state and county. The applicant was requested to mail the application to 1812 Thirteenth Street, Washington D.C., in care of Mrs. Dabney, or 115 W. 138th Street, New York City, care of Charles Manson.

The Prophet Redding, expecting Prince Ras Tafari to come out of Ethiopia with arms outstretched in the very near future (Chicago Defender, December 20. 2019) at once staged a parade to renounce “American Jim Crow Citizenship” by publicly burning a flag in front of a café on 209 East 35th Street on June 20, 1920. According to the Chicago Defender newspaper, June 25, a headline stated, “Fanatics Burn US Flag Murder Two; Shoot Police Imposter of Abyssinian Government Stage Gun Battle in Street.” The report stated:

“Two white men are dead and several seriously injured following a reign of terror which began at 35th Street and Indiana Avenue last Sunday (June 20) at 7:30 o’clock. Hostilities started when Grover Redding, alleged chieftain of the Star Order of Ethiopia and Ethiopian Missionary to Abyssinia” burned a United States flag in front of Entertainers Hall. Redding, clad in regalia styled after Abyssinian customs, led a parade on horseback to this point, after being driven from Trinity M.E. Church, 30th Street and Prairie Avenue by Rev. Barber, who objected to the seditious language used by Redding and his followers who had engaged the church for lecture purposes.

Redding engaged in short ceremony before he applied the torch to the flag. Policeman Joseph Owens of the Cottage Grove Avenue station was attracted by the flames and rushed to the scene to prevent Redding from burning another flag. Owens, according to witnesses, attempted to arrest Redding, and when he placed his hand on the latter four shots rang out in rapid succession. Owens sank to his knees, but later regained his feet, staggered to the drug store and sent in a riot call. R.L. Rose (white), a sailor from Co. G 15th regiment stationed at the Great Lakes Naval Training station, ran to the rescue of the officer and made an attempt to secure the flag which Redding was about to burn. Mason Furno and his son alleged to be Abyssinians and followers of Redding, made for a nearby auto in which several high powered army rifles had been concealed. Furno’s son fired at rose and the latter made a dash for the United cigar store, located at 270 East 35th Street. Rose was shot dead in the store and Joseph Hoyt (white), a clerk, was also slain when he sought to rescue Rose. It has not been established whether Redding or the Furnos killed the two white men. The Furnos have not been captured.

Witnesses stated that after Redding burned the flag and Policeman Owens was shot, one of the Furnos shouted, “Join us boys, we are 40,000,000 strong.” Redding was arrested Monday. . . .”

Two days later Prophet Redding was hanged. A supporter of the Star Order of Ethiopia said to a Commission Investigating race relations in Chicago:

“I am a radical. I despise and hate the white man. They will always be against the Ethiopian. I do not want to be called Negro, colored, or ‘nigger’. Either term is an insult to me or to you. Our rightful name is Ethiopian. White men stole the black man from Africa and counseled with each other as to what to do with him and what to call him, for when the Negro learned that he was the first civilized human on earth he would wise up and rebel against the white man. To keep him from doing this it was decided to call him Negro after the Niger River in Africa. This was to keep him from having that knowledge by the Bible for his right name was Ethiopian. This was done so we could always be ruled by the white man. I will call your attention to the Bible. There is not one word of evil against the Children of Israel and Ethiopia written in it. Ethiopia came out of Israel and God said they are his people and he will be their God. He also says after the 300 years of punishment he will never go by [desert] Israel again and will be with him for ever and ever. We find by the Bible that he, the Ethiopian, is the only child of God.

The three hundred years of punishment are up, and this is the year of deliverance. It started in 1619 when we were stolen from Africa and made slaves. God is takin care of the black man. Some great destruction will take place, but God’s chosen people will be all right….”

The Chicago Commission on Race Relations reported that the reason for the flag burning was intended to symbolize the feeling of the “Ethiopian” followers that it was time to forswear allegiance to the American Government and consider themselves under the allegiance to the government of Ethiopia under Ras Tafari, Regent and Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia.

While Redding was parading in Chicago, Robert Athlyi Rogers was parading in Newark, New Jersey with a host of Black men protected by riding officers of the city and accompanied by members of the Salvation Army carrying banners proclaiming a universal holiday for Black people and foretelling of their industrial and national independence.

Though Prophet Redding lived only one year after the Ethiopian Mission enlightened him to for the Star Order of Ethiopia to prepare for Repatriation when Prince Ras Tafari would fulfill Biblical prophecy by coming to America to gather the scattered Ethiopians for the purpose of building an Ethiopian Empire, and only eight days after publicly declaring his allegiance to the Ethiopian Government of Ras Tafari, it did not stop the Ethiopian expectation for Repatriation to their motherland.

Chicago Reverend James Morris Webb then began preaching from his pamphlet entitled A Black Man Will Be The Coming Universal King Proven By Biblical History to the UNIA on October 22 and November 5. At this time, Robert Athlyi Rogers began traveling throughout Central and South America and the Caribbean on boats preaching the gospel of Ethiopian’s Redemption for over a year.

On March 29, 1922, Marcus Garvey addressed the Newark, New Jersey division of the UNIA at a mass gathering attended by Robert Athlyi Rogers after which Rogers declared Garvey “An apostle of the Lord God for the redemption of Ethiopia and her suffering posterities.”

Then, at the UNIA 1922 Convention, on July 29, Reverend Webb again lectures the UNIA on the Coming of a Universal Black King. At the Convention, Persian Consul General H. Topakyan read a message from Ethiopian Regent Plenipotentiary Ras Tafari:

“I invite [African Americans] back to the homeland, particularly those qualified to help solve our big problems and to develop our vast resources. Teachers, artisans, mechanics, writers, musicians, professional men and women - all who are able to lend a hand in the constructive work which our country so deeply feels and greatly needs.”

On September 29, 1923 - Ethiopia joined the League of Nations and on January 15, 1924 , Robert Athlyi Rogers published the Holy Piby, which stated,

” For as much as the children of Ethiopia, God’s favorite people of old, have turned away from his divine Majesty, neglecting life economic, believing they could on spiritual wings fly to the kingdom of God, consequently became a dependent for the welfare of others . . . . Mothers of Ethiopia, the convention has triumphed, your sorrows have brought joy to Ethiopia, your tears have anointed her soil with a blessing, your cries have awakened her children throughout the earth, yea in the corners of the unknown world are they aroused, and is prophesying, saying prepare ye the way for a redeemer. For unto Ethiopia this day a Shepherd is anointed, yea, as a shepherd gathers his sheep so shall he gather unto God, the generation of Ethiopia even from the end of the earth and lead them high, a nation among nations. Then shall the inhabitants of the earth know that the Lord our God has not forsaken Ethiopia and that the might is weak against his command and unto no nation has he given power forever.

When the might angel had finished speaking to the heavenly host he then turned to the earth and said: ‘Children of Ethiopia, stand,’ and there flashed upon the earth a great multitude of Negroes knowing not from whence they came; then shouted instantly the whole heavenly host, “Behold, behold Ethiopia has triumphed’….

The angel of the Lord roved Athlyi in four colors and commanded him to put forth his right hand and the messenger presented in his right hand a staff an in his left hand the Holy Laws saying, ‘Go and administer this Law through thine apostles unto the children of Ethiopia and command them to rise from the feet of their oppressors. Great is the penalty if there be any failure on your part to deliver the Law:

The Holy Commandments

I

Love ye one another, O children of Ethiopia, for by no other way can ye love the Lord your God.

II

Be thou industrious, thrifty and fruitful, O offsprings of Ethiopia, for by no other way can ye show gratitude to the Lord your God, for the many blessings he has bestowed upon earth free to all mankind.

III

Be ye concretized and ever united, for by the power of unity ye shall demand respect of the nations.

IV

Work ye willingly with all thy heart with all thy soul and with all thy strength to relieve suffering and oppressed humanity, for by no other way can ye render integral service to the Lord your God.

V

Be thou clean and pleasant, O generation of Ethiopia, for thou art anointed, moreover the angels of the Lord dwelleth with thee.

VI

Be thou punctual, honest and truthful that ye gain flavor in the sight of the Lord your God, and that your pathway be prosperous.

VII

Let no people take away that which the Lord thy God giveth thee, for the Lord shall inquire of it and if ye shall say some one hath taken it, ye shall in no wise escape punishment, for he that dieth in retreat of his enemy the Lord shall not hold him guiltless, but a people who dieth in pursuit of their enemy for the protection of that which the Lord God giveth them, shall receive a reward in the kingdom of their Father.

VIII

Thou shalt first bind up the wound of thy brother and correct the mistakes in thine own household before ye can see the sore on the body of your friend, or the error in the household of thy neighbor.

IX

O generation of Ethiopia, shed not the blood of thine own for the welfare of others for such is the pathway to destruction and contempt.

X

Be ye not contented in the vineyard or household of others, for ye know not the day or the hour when denial shall appear, prepare ye p. 38 rather for yourselves a foundation, for by no other way can man manifest love for the offsprings of the womb.

XI

Athlyi, Athlyi, thou shepherd of the holy law and of the children of Ethiopia, establish ye upon the Law a Holy temple for the Lord according to thy name and there shall all the children of Ethiopia worship the Lord their God, and there shall the apostles of the shepherd administer the law and receive pledges thereto and concretize within the Law. Verily he that is concretized within the Law shall be a follower and a defender thereof, more-over the generations born of him that is concretize within the law are also of the law.

XII

O generation of Ethiopia, thou shalt have no other God but the Creator of Heaven and Earth and the things thereof. Sing ye praises and shout Hosanna to the Lord your God, while for a foundation ye sacrifice on earth for His Divine Majesty the Lord our Lord in six days created. the heaven and earth and rested the seventh; ye also shall hallow the seventh day, for it is blessed by the Lord, therefore on this day thou shall do no manner of work or any within thy gates.”

The Shepherd's Prayer By Athlyi

O God of Ethiopia, thy divine majesty; thy spirit come in our hearts to dwell in the path of righteousness, lead us, help us to forgive that we may be forgiven, teach us love and loyalty on earth as in Heaven, endow us with wisdom and understanding to do thy will, thy blessing to us that the hungry be fed, the naked clothed, the sick nourished, the aged protected and the infants cared for. Deliver us from the hands of our enemies that we prove fruitful, then in the last day when life is o'er, our bodies in the clay, or in the depths of the sea, or in the belly of a beast, O give our souls a place in thy kingdom forever and forever. Amen.

By the summer of 1924, Marcus Garvey and the UNIA seemed to have concretized the program for Ethiopian Repatriation. On March 16, 1924, Marcus Garvey delivered a speech at Madison Square Garden “In Honor of the Return to America of the Delegation Sent to Europe and Africa by the Universal Negro Improvement Association to Negotiate for the Repatriation of Negroes to a Homeland of Their Own in Africa”. Garvey said,

“The coming together, all over this country, of fully six million people of Negro blood, to work for the creation of a nation of their own in their motherland, Africa, is no joke. . . . Our desire is for a place in the world . . . to lay down our burden and rest our weary backs and feet by the banks of the Niger, and sing our songs and chant our hymns to the God of Ethiopia . . . . As children of captivity we look forward to a new day and a new, yet ever old, land of our fathers, the land of refuge, the land of the Prophets, the land of the Saints, and the land of God’s crowning glory. We shall gather together our children, our treasures and our loved ones, and, as the children of Israel, by the command of God, face the promise land . . . . Good and dear America that has succored us for three hundred years knows our story . . . . The thoughtful and industrious of our race want to go back to Africa, because we realize it will be our only hope of permanent existence. We cannot all go in a day or in a year, ten or twenty years. It will take time under the rule of modern economics, to entirely or largely depopulate a country of a people, who have been its residents for centuries, but we feel that with proper help for fifty years, the problem can be solved. We do not want all the Negroes in Africa. Some are no good here, and naturally will be no good there . . . . The no-good Negro will naturally die in fifty years. The Negro who is wrangling about and fighting for social equality will naturally pass away in fifty years, and yield his place to the progressive Negro who wants a society and country of his own. . . . What are you going to expect, that white men are going to build up America and elsewhere and hand it over to us?”

During the 1924 UNIA Convention, members of the UNIA boarded five ships from ports in the Caribbean and the United States. As soon as the UNIA contingent departed for Liberia, the United States government dispatched a quick light cruiser with the Secretary of State on board. The cruiser sped past the UNIA fleet of ships. The United States Secretary of State met with President King in a secret meeting. The contents of this meeting were not disclosed to the public. As the UNIA and its fleet approached the shores of Liberia, the Liberian Navy blocked its passage, preventing them from coming ashore. The Captain of the Black Star Line displayed the lease agreement, signed and agreed upon by President King. However, President King adamantly refused to meet the UNIA delegation. In the middle of the convention, the Associated Press reports the Liberian Governments statement rejecting the UNIA. Under Pressure from the British and French Government, Liberia grants the Firestone Rubber Company a 99-year lease on the one million acres it originally had granted to the UNIA.

On August 1, 1924, on behalf of the Fourth Annual Convention of the Negro Peoples of the World, Garvey wrote to Ethiopian Empress Zauditu,

“Greetings from the 400,000,000 Negroes of the world through our convention now sitting in New York. We hope for you and your country a reign of progress and happiness. Our desire is to help you maintain the glory of Ethiopia. Your expression of goodwill toward us two years ago through your consul-general is highly cherished and we are looking forward to the day when large numbers of us will become citizens of Ethiopia.”

Finally, after the publication of the Holy Piby and the UNIA 4th Convention, Annie Harvey, in New York from Kingston, Jamaica by way of Port Limon, Costa Rica via Panama, was called to Ethiopia by a “vision” and went to Ethiopia for five years. Reverend Fitzhugh Ballentine Petersburg, who authored The Royal Parchment Scroll of Black Supremacy, also left New York for Jamaica.

The following documents, then formed the foundation of the Ras Tafari Movement that started in 1919 in Chicago and thirty-three years later spread to Jamaica:

Charles Henry Holmes (Clayton Adams) Ethiopia, The Land of Promise: A Book With A Purpose (1917)

Redding’s Star of Ethiopia Pamphlet (1919);

Rev. Webb’s A Black Man Will Be The Coming Universal King, Proven By Biblical History (1919);

Garvey’s Philosophy and Opinions Volume1 (1923);

Roger’s Holy Piby (1924); and

Rev. Ballentine’s Royal Parchment Scroll of Black Supremacy (1924-1927).

Leonard Howell is usually credited with being the "First Rasta". Leonard Howell left Jamaica and arrived in the United States in October 1918, where after it is said that Howell worked on 5 U.S. army vessels until his discharge in 1923. It is likely that Howell read such newspaper headlines such as "The Moses of the Negro Race Has Come to New York and Heads a Universal Organization Already Numbering 2,000,000 Which Is About To Elect A High Potentate and Dreams of Reviving the Glories of Ancient Ethiopia" that appeared in the New York World special feature by Michael Gold for the Sunday Supplement on August 22, 1920.

Nevertheless, in 1924, Howell took a room on Horatio Street in the Lower East Side, New York where he stayed until he returned to Jamaica in November 1932. In May, 1924 Leonard Howell applied for US citizenship and later opened a shop at 113 W. 136th St. In Harlem. According to Archibald Dunkley in Robert A. Hill in Dread History, "The UNIA declared against Howell in New York".

Howell himself told the Jamaican Daily Gleaner, November 23, 1940, that

"After my travels and subsequent return to the United States, I became attracted to the Ras Tafarites and afterwards returned home to Jamaica to preach its tenants."

Where did Howell learn the "tenants" of the "Ras Tafarites"? In the United States from Redding, Webb, Ford, Rogers, Ballentine, and Garvey.

What were the first tenets of the Ras Tafarites?

acceptance of Ethiopian identity (Rogers 1917, Redding 1919)

rejection of white supremacy (Holmes 1917, Rogers 1917, Redding 1919)

use of biblical prophecy (Redding, Rogers, Webb 1919,)

recognition of messianic, Universal Black King (Webb 1919)

pledge of allegiance to the Government of Ras Tafari (Redding 1919)

use of picture of Ras Tafari (Redding 1919, Ford 1930)

physical return to Ethiopia for the purpose of building Ethiopian Empire (Delany 1836, Alexander 1908, Redding 1919)

use of Ethiopian flags and parades (Redding 1919, Rogers 1919)

martyrdom in defense of Ethiopian freedom (Redding 1919)

organization for Repatriation to Ethiopia (Delany 1836, Redding 1919)

On September 2, 1924 Garvey and the UNIA forwarded a Petition of Four Million Negroes of the United States of America to His Excellency the President of the United States Praying for a Friendly and Sympathetic Consideration of the Plan of Founding a Nation in Africa for the Negro People, and to Encourage Them in Assisting to Develop Already Independent Negro Nations as a Means of Helping to Solve the Conflicting Problems of Race.

That same year, Garvey starts the Black Cross Navigation and Trading Co. while in Ethiopia, Ras Tafari established a school for freed slaves, issued another decree banning slavery on March 31, and set up Bureaus to supervise the abolition of slavery in Ethiopia. Ras Tafari also established in Ethiopia schools with foreign languages and built hospitals with his private money. He encouraged the United States to open an Embassy in Ethiopia.

In the summer of 1928, Garvey traveled to Geneva to the League of Nations to renew his petition filed on July 26, 1922. Then, on October 7, 1928, Ras Tafari was crowned Negus, King of Ethiopia in fulfilment of Biblical prophecy and the prophecy of Reverend Webb. Negus Tafari then sent 100 Ethiopian students abroad.

Ato Gabrou Desta, then in the United States on a special mission to obtain economic and educational advisers, discussed Repatriation directly with Rabbi Arnold Ford whom the Abyssinian Mission of 1919 had made the first Repatriation offer. Ato Gabrou then issued the fourth invitation to Repatriate to Ethiopia in a message from Ras Tafari which stated,

“We would welcome them back to Ethiopia, their Fatherland . . . . There is plenty of room for them here and we are certain they would be of the greatest aid in restoring their ancient land to its pristine glory.”

Three months after this meeting, Ford’s congregation sent him to Ethiopia accompanied by Miss Eudora Paris, a singer of note among Harlem nationalists.

The Chicago Defender July 5, 1930 headlines: "Black Emperor Reviews His Soldiers" with a picture of the marching troops captioned

"Ethiopian Army Passes in Review: On May 21 at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, better known to the world as Abyssinia, the new Emperor, Ras Tafari Conquering the rebel army reviewed his loyal troops, who outshone the splendor and dazzling color of the Red army of Russia in Moscow, that of the favorite troops of the late Kaiser William of Germany in the huge square in Berlin, also that of the king of Afghanistan on the plains near Kabul. The above photo, published exclusively in The Chicago Defender, shows the standard bearers of His Majesty’s forces as they passed before the reviewing stand,. Below also an exclusive picture for the Chicago Defender, shows the Ethiopian drum corps as they lead the crack regiment of rifles before the presence of His Majesty, who is a direct descendent of King Solomon of the Bible."

The article "Ethiopian Army in Parade": states:

(Chicago Defender Foreign News Service) July 3 - The state department is considering sending a special representative of President Hoover with the rank of Ambassador to Addis Ababa for the coronation of Ras Tafari as Emperor of Abyssinia Nov. 2. The prince of Wales or the Duke of York, it is understood, will probably attend the coronation, while Italy, France and the Vatican are expected to send representatives. Addison E. Southard, American minister to Abyssinia, recently reported to the state department that extraordinary opportunities for American commerce, finance and engineering skill were to be found there. ‘Ethiopia the country is rich,’ Mr. Southard said. ‘Its ruler is determined upon development along modern lines and he has decided preference for the United States.’

By W.A. Jackson

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, June 10 With the passing of the Empress Zauditu, Ras Tafari now ascends the ancient Throne of Ethiopia. Already Negus (king), to distinguish him from all other Rases, now becomes Negus Nagasti (King of Kings) and Emperor of all Ethiopia

Upon the receipt of the news that the Empress had died, Tafari, by a masterful stroke of organization, concentrated 10,000 picked troops on the palace grounds of the late Empress before his strongest rival, Ras Kassa, seized the reins of government and proclaimed himself emperor. Since his ascendancy to the throne Tafari has shown such great determination and strength of character that he has gained the respect of even his enemies.

Although the government of Ethiopia is in the hands of Tafari and his conservative party, the new emperor is faced with many grave problems, both from within and without. The old party, which was headed by the late Empress, continues strong and the resentment against the many radical reforms which Tafari has instituted since his return from Europe some five years ago still lingers on.

The growing resentment against the presence of Europeans is one of the major problems which confronts the new Emperor. However, for the present, Tafari is master of the situation and the Europeans are hoping that he will be able to overcome everyone who now impedes his plans for reform.

Several months before her death, the late Empress gave full expression to her growing anxiety regarding the welfare of her country by calling Ras Koukan, a powerful leader, in the North, to assist her in displacing Tafari from the throne, for she and her party never accepted the rightful heir.

In the quarrel that ensued, Ras Kouksa succeeded in enlisting the assistance and support of other followers of the Empress and as a final break, civil war broke out. Tafari, with characteristic calm and determination, met the situation with a firmness that surprised the entire country. He immediately dispatched the minister of war, Bletan Geta Bulnenguetta, with a large force of troops to the revolting province. Later powerful chiefs or rases from Gondar, Harra, Tigre, joined him with their armies and in a surprisingly short time had succeeded in surrounding the forces of Ras Kouksa. Modern Browning machine guns and cannons were used by the rebel forces. For a while the outcome seemed doubtful on the part of government forces, but with reinforcements from the loyal provinces a decision was soon reached. Tafari, at the critical period, seeing that a prolonged civil war would be both embarrassing and expensive, dispatched two airplanes, piloted by French and German aviators. Despite the fact that the revolting forces succeeded in bringing down the German plane which resulted in the death of the King’s uncle; the French plane succeeded in dropping several well-placed bombs, which frightened the revolutionists and dispersed their fighting units. Hostilities ended shortly after the death of Ras Kouksa, who was slain in the battle.

With the restoration of peace in the revolting provinces and the end of the mourning period for the late Empress, which lasted for 40 days, the Emperor ordered the victorious armies to return to Addis Ababa for a final review before returning to their respective provinces.

As a part of the plans for the welcome for the returning armies, 6,000 bullocks were brought in from the surrounding country to be slaughtered near the palace grounds. Native wood carriers brought wood in on their heads from great distances. Women and children brewed tej or native beer and carried large earthen jars on their backs to the palace to serve to the soldiers. During the meantime, thousands of soldiers, many of whom had served under Menelik in previous wars, traveled overland, across high mountains, through deserts and tropical forests subsisting, for the most part, on handfuls of parched grains . . ."

Ford and Paris reached Addis Ababa in 1930, joining the elderly Daniel Alexander who was the first Black American on record to Repatriate to Ethiopia in 1908. They arrived just in time to attend the Coronation Ceremony on November 2, 1930, when Ras Tafari became Emperor of Ethiopia and was crowned Haile Selassie, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion of Judah.” The total number of repatriates at this time numbered around ten, including Daniel Robert Alexander, who was the first African from the Americas (Chicago) to permanently repatriate to Ethiopia (1909).

1930 November 2 Haile Selassie’s Coronation.

About 100 Africans from the Americas attend the Coronation of HIM Haile Selassie I. Many of those present are associated with the Elder Daniel Robert Alexander, who had been living in the country for 21 years and would become known as the Emperor’s blacksmith. Garvey sent a cable to the New Emperor stating: "Greetings from Ethiopians of the Western World. May your reign be peaceful, prosperous, progressive. Long live your majesty." The Black Hebrews of Harlem and the "Ethiopian Exiles" in Jamaica began re-reading scriptures and determined that HIM Haile Selassie was the King of Kings spoken of in the Book of Revelations.

The Chicago Defender of November 8 pictured Ras Tafari with the caption "CROWNED KING OF KINGS" and a front page story announced, "Amid splendor and pomp that would have put the Roman empire in its palmy days into the shade, HIS MAJESTY RAS TAFARI, this ruler of Ethiopia was crowned Haile Selassie I, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion of Judah and Elect of God, Sunday morning. His Ancestry Traces Back To King Solomon."

W.E.B. DuBois’s Crisis newspaper also pictured Ras Tafari sitting on the Throne of David captioned, "King of Kings".

The Jamaican Daily Gleaner ran a report of Ras Tafari’s Coronation and Garvey’s Jamaican newspaper The Blackman, printed large portraits of Haile Selassie and Marcus Garvey on its front page. Garvey’s article in The Blackman, November 8, 1930, stated:

". . . We are glad to learn that even though Europeans have been trying to impress the Abyssinians that they are not belonging to the Negro Race, they have learned the retort that they are, and they are proud to be so. Ras Tafari has traveled to Europe and America and is therefore no stranger to European hypocrisy and methods … We do hope that Ras Tafari will live long to carry out his wonderful intentions. From what we have heard and what we do know, he is ready and willing to extend the hand of invitation to any Negro who desires to settle his kingdom. We know of many who are gone to Abyssinia and who have given good report of the great possibilities there . . . . The Psalmist prophesied that Princes would come out of Egypt and Ethiopia would stretch forth her hands unto God. We have no doubt that the time is now come. Ethiopia is now really stretching forth her hands. This great kingdom of the East has been hidden for many centuries, but gradually she is rising to take a leading place in the world and it is for us the Negro race to assist in every way to hold up the hand of Emperor Ras Tafari."

On January 4, 1931 Garvey’s UNIA followers march side by side with Rabbi Arnold Ford’s Black Hebrews in a street parade through Harlem, carrying framed life-size portraits of HIM Haile Selassie I and the Honorable Marcus Garvey. Later in the year, Ato Gabrou Informs Rabbi Ford of Land Concessions Granted. Nine more members of Ford’s Congregation repatriate to Ethiopia, including UNIA members Ada and Augustine Bastian, joining Rabbi Ford who had been in Ethiopia since the Coronation. Garvey then sets sail for London to file a petition to the League of Nations which accused the United States and the nations of Europe of violating the human rights of African Americans and other African peoples.

Eleven days after Garvey set sail, Detroit-area UNIA President Earl Little (Malcolm X’s father), who was responsible for collecting signatures for the petition, was discovered dying on the trolley tracks near his home.

Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie saw the need to recognize the incoming Repatriates as Citizens of Ethiopia. Thus, when His Majesty issued the Consolidated Laws of Ethiopia that become part of the 1931 Constitution, under Section 9 NATIONALITY 12(2) Haile Selassie provided for Citizenship for Black people of the West:

“12(2) If the Imperial Ethiopian Government deems any foreigner who applies for Ethiopian citizenship to be of value or if it finds other special reason which convinces it that the applicant should be granted citizenship it may grant him/her Ethiopian citizenship even if he/she does not fulfill the [residency and language] requirements prescribed in Article 12(b) and (d) of the Nationality Law of 1930.”

By 1931, with a framework in place for the full Repatriation of Blacks from the West, Ato Gabrou informed Rabbi Ford and Eudora Paris of land concessions granted. Ato Gabrou sent word to Ford’s congregation in America to arrange passage for the next group of repatriates. Nine more members repatriated, including Mignon Innes (who, also from Barbados, married Arnold Ford in Addis Ababa and bore him two sons), Alberta Thomas, John Sandiford, Mary Lynch, Jane Foster, Ada and Augustine Bastian (Virgin Islands, UNIA members), and Thomas and Nancy Paris (Eudora Paris’ parents). During this period, 1930-1931, approximately 100 Ethiopian “Blacks” from America repatriate to Ethiopia, including Horace W. Hendricks and William Weeks of Harlem, Oswald Nanton, James Alexander Hart (British Guiana), George A. Smith, and Mr. Helwig. Noted Black scholar J.A. Rogers twice visited Ethiopia during the early 1930’s.

On August 24, Robert Athlyi Rogers, feeling that he had accomplished his mission, committed suicide.

In 1932 The Peace Movement of Ethiopia is established in Chicago by Mrs. Gordon. The Chicago Defender newspaper describes their purpose as

"Repatriating all unemployed, hopeless Negroes off the relief rolls, to be returned to Africa where they can develop themselves in a country under black leadership where their opportunities will not be limited and where the thousands of others who desire to be free from slavery . . . . "

Petitions containing the names of 400,000 members of the race were sent to President Roosevelt from the various branches established strategically all over the country. The Peace Movement of Ethiopia was successful in getting the Virginia legislatures to pass a resolution endorsing the repatriation of people of African descent.

In 1934 Hattie Kofie returns to Ohio from Ethiopia. The Young People’s Progressive League of Ethiopia is established and sends letters of protest to the League of Nations prior to the Italian invasion. Africans and African-Americans also establish the Ethiopian Research Council in Washington D.C.

On October 6, the Chicago Defender reports: "Nip Ethiopian-Italian Breach Rumor":

"Countries Express Views Rome, Italy Oct. 5 -- Behind the news of the recent healing of the threatened breach between Italy and Ethiopia, some believe, is the all-powerful voice of the Vatican, and also the anti-slavery society efforts of the same strong institution: Mother Church - the Roman Catholic Faith.

A muted expression of friendship and non-aggression was issued last week by Italy and Abyssinia in an official statement. The statement was an answer to rumors which have circulated in Italy in the last two months concerning possible Italian expedition into Abyssinia and a possible Abyssinian attack in the adjoining Italian colonies of Eritrea and Somaliland. The rumors arose after Italy, in the last three months, began to reinforce the colonies considerably while Abyssinia formed a formidable army under the direction of a Belgian military mission. The announcement read:

‘The Ethiopian charge d’affairs, Megadras Afework, has communicated that he has been authorized by His Majesty Haile Selassie, Emperor of Abyssinia, to declare formally that the Imperial Government of Ethiopia has never had and does not now have any intentions of aggression against Italy and intends to conform in the most absolute manner to the letter and spirit of the Italian and Ethiopia treaty of friendship of 1928, not having any motive to disturb the good and friendly relations existing between the two governments.’

In taking note of the communication, the Italian Government has replied to the charge d’affairs of Ethiopia that Italy does not have any intention that is not friendly toward the Ethiopian Government with which it is bound by the Treaty of friendship of 1928. ‘Italy intends to continue to cultivate with Ethiopia the most friendly relations of augmenting reciprocal political and economic relations.’

Rome, Oct 5 - Citizens were ordered today to report to the Government anyone spreading rumors that Italy intends to invade Abyssinia. It was pointed out that Abyssinia like Italy, is a member of the League of Nations and that such a move would incur the displeasure of powers throughout the world."

On December 10, Italy provokes the Wal Wal incident.

On January 3, 1935 HIM Haile Selassie appealed to the League of Nations under Article 10 and Article 15 of the League of Nations Covenant. Three days later, France’s Laval agree to give Mussolini Ethiopia in violation of the Anglo-French Agreement to exclude Italy from Ethiopia. In April Garvey leaves Jamaica for England. On May 16, the British and French began to boycott the sale of arms to Ethiopia while making friendly diplomatic overtures to Italy. Faced with this embargo, Haile Selassie appeals to Japan and the United States, the latter taking an official stance of neutrality, while secretly aiding the Italians through oil supplies provided through Standard Oil and canceled supplies to Ethiopia. In July, Haile Selassie was informed that Belgium, Czechoslovakia and Denmark had all cancelled promised deliveries of armaments.

The June 15, 1935 Chicago Defender stated in big bold letters atop its front cover, "WAR IN ETHIOPIA BY SEPTEMBER!" Above several pictures of Emperor Haile Selassie and His troops read:

"Standing under a huge umbrella, resplendent in color and tinged with gold, Emperor Haile Selassie, King of Kings and Lion of the Tribe of Judah, startled the world this week with his pronouncements on the Italo-Ethiopian controversy. Speaking directly to Black Musselmen who had gathered by the thousands from all parts of the country to pledge their loyalty to the government, the Emperor took advantage of the occasion to warn black people everywhere, including those in the United States, that they owed their loyalty and support to Ethiopia. ‘I am not only Emperor of Africa, I am King of all Negroes everywhere, including those in the United States and other foreign domains. The Italian war lord is trying to destroy the last, best hope you have on earth.’ He then openly defied Mussolini to do his worst. He said: ‘If the power-crazed lords of Italy attempt to set one foot on Ethiopian territory, they will meet the rank and file of black soldiery all along the line until the white sands of Eritrea are red with the blood of Italians."

The article "Italy Defies World, ‘Honor is at stake’ Mussolini Hurls Dare As Many African Troops Continue to Arming, Both Sides Ready, Bulletin!" reads:

"Rome, June 14 - Angered at release of authentic news dispatches of Italian activities in its quarrel with Ethiopia, the Fascist government Thursday ordered David Darrah, veteran Chicago Tribune Rome correspondent out of the country. Darrah was arrested and escorted to the French border.

Literally thumbing his nose at the rest of the world, Italy’s fascist dictator Il Duce Mussolini in the strongest terms at his command, told an enormous crowd at Galianri, Sardinia, Sunday that he intends to go ahead with his war with Ethiopia. He was reviewing the Sabauda Division prior to its embarkation for East Africa.

That the ignominious route and slaughter of the Italian army by the black soldiery of Ethiopia at Adowa in 1898 still rankles was indicated by Mussolini’s assertion that Italy had an ’old and a new score to settle’ by actual conflict with the African empire. He stirred every corner of Europe with a thinly veiled attack on Great Britain, whose actions in attempting to bring about a peaceful settlement of the Italo-Ethiopian crisis had aroused his ire. ‘Italy’ he shouted to his cheering minions, will initiate to the letter those who would now preach us a sermon but who have demonstrated that when they were creating an empire and defending it, they never took into consideration world opinion.

‘We have an old and new score to settle, and we shall settle them. We shall not take any account of what is said beyond our frontiers because we, we alone and we exclusively, are the judges of our interests and the guarantors of our future.’

Mussolini gives as his excuse to attack Ethiopia that the nation’s ‘power and glory’ are involved in the dispute. It is usual for nations declaring war to say that they are fighting to defend themselves or their possessions. In this instance, Mussolini can only claim that Italy’s ‘power and glory’ have been questioned. . . Assured of Italy’s intention to force him into war, communiqués from Ethiopia say, Haile Selassie has indicated that he is ready right now for any attack the Italians attempt to make. Ethiopia’s army is unlike that of most nations. It is made up of fierce tribesmen, commanded by rich feudal lords and chieftains who, while turbulent during times of peace, will rally at once in defence of their country. But Selassie has been playing his hand quietly. He told correspondents at Addis Ababa that he would not sound the call to national arms until the first move was made toward Ethiopian soil by Italy. He gave as his reason the fact that his men, uneducated to western conceptions of war, would be difficult to control if they were assembled and then forced to wait any length of time before fighting. He has modern weapons, machine guns, tanks and airplanes. Actual war will begin sometime next September, Mussolini revealed here. The Italian soldiers are unaccustomed to the torrential rains in East Africa and it would be suicide to try any kind of an attack right now while the country is going through its annual rainy season. Reports are already being returned here that the thousands of Italian soldiers in East Africa are discontented and that hundreds of them have died from diseases contracted in the unaccustomed African clime. These adverse reports are being squelched by Mussolini who, in plunging ahead with his plans in open defiance of the rest of the world, knows that this regime of fascism is doomed to fall if this, the biggest undertaking since King Victor Emanuel was moved as the actual ruler of Italy, falls through. Failure of Great Britain to line up with him in his proposed conquest of Africa, has enraged the dictator, but, nevertheless, he has ordered the militant fascist press to let up in its bitter tirades against the English. Especially was this so this week when one newspaper went so far as to rave that if Great Britain wanted war with Italy, she could have it.

To agitate further the cause of Italy and the ease with which it could be accomplished, Italian newspapers circulated the rumor that an attempt was made on Emperor Haile Selassie’s life a few days ago when about 2,000 Danakil tribesman tried to wreck the train to which he was returning from a short stay in the Harrar district. These tribesman, who are Moslem in faith, were said to have been repulsed by machine gun fire. Cross ties, spikes and bolts were said to have been removed from the tracks. This was emphatically denied in Ethiopia."

The following headlines appeared in subsequent Chicago Defender articles:

June 29: "Ethiopia (Joe Louis) Stretched Forth A Hand and Italy (Primo Carera) Hit the Canvas"

July 13: "Ethiopian, Italian Troops Face Each Other In Africa, Peace Efforts Fail" Prophet Says Italy Will Lose Its Fight"

July 20: "Ethiopian Conflict Stirs World"

"Is Ethiopia Stretching Forth Her Hands? Believe World Headed For Biblical Armageddon, World Uprising In Italo-Ethiopian War Forseen By Writer"

"Forthcoming Conflict May Be The Fulfillment Of Biblical Prophecies"

"Would Be Race War, End of White Domination Is Possible Outcome"

"Ethiopia’s Artillery Ready For Mussolini"

"Itlay Doomed in Africa, Ethiopian Princess Says"

July: 27: "race Americans Seek Place in Working Out of Prophecies; Believe Curse of Babylon May Be Lifted In Ethiopia"

"Forecasts Doom of White Race"

August 17: "Intellectuals Rap League of Nations"

"Bitter in Denunciation of Stand on Ethiopia"

"Geneva’s Calm is Conspicuous"

August 24: "World Turns Eyes on Ethiopia"

"Nations In Ferment As Battle Nears"

"He Walks Alone. His Majesty Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia, Who Occupies A lonely Position These Days, With Italy Demanding Control Over His Country, and England and France Bargaining Without Even Consulting Him, The Emperor Awaits the First Move Which Will Indicate The Beginning of Another Terrible War But Although Alone, He Is Unafraid"

August 31: "Ethiopia Will Defend Land And Independence"

"see League of Nations Meeting As Last Hope"

"Only Way To Prevent War of Aggression"

"(Haile Selassie) Can Shoot As Well As Speak"

September 7: "Ethiopia Must Bear Burden Alone Help of Power Denied"

On July 8, 1935, Emperor Haile Selassie established the Red Cross Society of Ethiopia while Nazi Germany sent a large quantity of weapons to Ethiopia. A New York Herald Tribune article August 2, 1935 proclaims Ethiopian relief "A Juicy Racket" in Harlem. Garvey opposes involvement of UNIA members in New York-based Provisional Committee for the Defense of Ethiopia because of coalition’s ties with members of the Communist party.

Finally, on September 30, 1935 - Emperor Haile Selassie signs the general mobilization order for His troops,. On October 3 Italy invaded Ethiopia. Haile Selassie, while watching the bombing and machine-gunning of His troops, comments to an advisor, "I fail to understand the role of the League of Nations. It seems quite impotent." US President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Neutrality Act to keep America out of the war. On October 7, the League of Nations declare Italy the aggressor.

The United Committees for Ethiopia forms and collects funds, and tries to force the United States to help Ethiopia under the Kellog-Briand Pact of 1928. The Provisional Committee for the Defense of Ethiopia forms in Harlem representing 20 organizations and 15,000 people. Later, the Chicago Society for the Aid of Ethiopia, the Friends of Ethiopia, and American Aid for Ethiopia are formed. By November, Friends of Ethiopia had locals in 106 cities and American Aid for Ethiopia sent one ton of medical supplies and an ambulance to the Ethiopian Red Cross. Plain Talk newspaper reports that

"A group of Jamaicans had decided to launch a series of meetings throughout the Island, for the purpose of getting together a battalion of stalwart men to defend the Ethiopian frontier from the Italian invaders" and that the contingent would be assisted by a black organization in Chicago. On October 13, Amy Jacques Garvey, delivered the main address at a mass meeting in support of Ethiopia at the Kingston Liberty Hall, concluding that the war would result in the "rising up of the people of Africa in one great effort to emancipate themselves." At the rally, "a petition signed by no fewer than 1400 persons was drafted asking the British Government to allow Jamaicans to enlist in the Ethiopian army so as ‘to fight to preserve the glories of our their ancient and beloved Empire.’"

A group of demonstrations also took place among Rastafarian groups in Kingston, though these were not reported in the press, which preferred to report only those acts which gave cause for vilification of the movement. Randolph Williams, an actor and broadcaster in Jamaica, reported

"There were sections that wanted to send a petition to His Majesty the King of England praying that they be allowed to recruit men in Jamaica to be sent to Abyssinia to do service in the Ethiopian ranks, others wished to collect money to send to Ras Tafari to be used for the purchase of arms, some decided upon just praying three times per day for the triumph of Abyssinia."

In Chicago, 5,000 Black men volunteered to defend Ethiopia but were prevented by the United States Government.

Colonel John C. Robinson from Chicago becomes the Emperor's pilot and trains the Ethiopian air force (which became Ethiopian Airlines). Black people all over the world volunteer to go to Ethiopia and fight to defend the last sovereign nation in Africa. Martin Luther King Sr. (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s father) oversees the Ethiopian defense fundraising in the state of Georgia.

On November 28, Emperor Haile Selassie traveled to Dessie to personally direct the Ethiopians as Commander in Chief. On December 7, Emperor Haile Selassie rejected the Hoare-Laval Plan to balkanize Ethiopia into spheres of influence for Britain, France and Italy.

1936 January 4 Chicago Defender newspaper headlines:

"Italy Attacked Black Empire On October 5"

"Haile Selassie Submits 5-Point Peace Proposal"

"Italian Guns Captured . . . Munitions Leave For Front"

"Mussolini Is Admitting He Is Defeated"

"Haile Selassie and Joe Louis Provide Biggest News"

"Defender Foreign News Experts Forecast Attack On Ethiopia Scooping World On Developments In African Empire"

"Black People Saw the Light in 1935"

"Learned They Had A True Great History"

"Black Peoples Learn Of True Racial Status"

"Students Voice Opposition To Ethiopian War"

"Race Ready To Unshackle Itself In 1936"

On April 30, 1936, Haile Selassie returned to Addis Ababa from the warfront and summoned his remaining elders to a meeting wherein he supported a plan to transfer both himself and his government to the town of Gore (a settlement in the mountains near the Sudanese border, two hundred miles west of Addis Ababa in the province of Ilubabor). Discouraged by British, French and US officials, opposed by his family, and supported by only three of his own councilors, the Emperor was forced to abandon his plan to continue the resistance and moved himself and government records outside of the country, instead of to Gore.

On May 5, 1936, HIM Haile Selassie and members of the Royal Family departed from Ethiopia en route for Geneva Switzerland to address the League of Nations on June 30.

HIM Haile Selassie eventually makes his home in Bath, England, the former capital of the Roman Empire and home to European Kings. Thus, Haile Selassie left his Royal palace in Addis Ababa for the Royal Palace in Bath.

Haile Selassie arrived in London on June 3. Garvey was a member of a delegation representing the black community in Britain which planned a welcoming reception at the train station. The Emperor declined to meet with the committee which included representatives from the British Guiana Association, the International Friends of Ethiopia, the Kikuyu Association of Kenya, the League of Colored Peoples, the Negro Welfare Association, the Pan-African Federation, the Somali Society, and the UNIA. The tone of Garvey’s previously favorable editorials changed to criticism, then hostility, from this day. [Ras note: Haile Selassie did not meet with any official reception sponsored by the British Government, either.]

During the summer, however, Haile Selassie did meet with Reverend Lloyd Imes, Pastor of the St. James Presbyterian Church, Philip M. Savoy of the Victory Insurance Company and co-owner of the New York Amsterdam News, and Mr. Cyril M. Philip, Secretary of the United Aid, who sailed to England to speak with His Imperial Majesty concerning financial matters. In response, HIM Haile Selassie empowered Dr. Malaku Bayen to establish the Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated. [see here]

On January 27, 1936 Dr. Malaku Bayen established The Voice of Ethiopia which began weekly publication as "A Paper for the vast Universal Black Commonwealth and Friends of Ethiopia." On February 3, Dr. Bayen began a national speaking tour and launched the "Haile Selassie Fund".

On March 5, 1936 Dr. Bayen lectured to the Chicago Society for the Aid of Ethiopia and stated that "The fighting in Ethiopia goes on" and that the Italians will soon be defeated "when their funds run low." He also said, "No truthful dispatches have been received here since American correspondents were forced to leave Ethiopia, but the fighting still goes on." By August 25, Dr. Bayen merged all pro-Ethiopian organizations into a new Ethiopian World Federation Incorporated with Local #1 International Headquarters in New York. The EWF adopts former UNIA Musical Director Rabbi Ford’s "Ethiopia Awaken" as its anthem, presenting its Charter on September 3 through the Law Firm of Delaney, Lewis and Williams at 36 West 135th Street. Evanston, Illinois received its EWF Charter on March 26, 1938; Chicago received its EWF Charter on August 25, 1938, and, a year later, EWF Local #17 received its charter in Jamaica on July 23, 1939 with L.F.C. Mantle as President and Paul Earlington as Vice-President. Joseph Nathaniel Hibbert, Archibald Dunkely and other early Rastafarites are foundational members. See here

Warren Harrigan, editor of The Voice of Ethiopia, wrote on November 11, 1939:

“This war is a test for the souls of Black men. Will they wholeheartedly come to the assistance of their country, Ethiopia, so viciously attacked and so cowardly abandoned by pretended friends? Will those Blacks who so honorably came to the aid of Ethiopia hold fast until victory is won?

Ethiopia is a big country, 350,000 square miles – 9 times the size of the State of New York, bigger than France and Germany together, capable of accommodating millions of Blacks from the West. Ethiopia will give us the opportunity we never had and will never obtain under British or American rule. The rich farm lands of Ethiopia await the skilled hands of Black Americans and West Indians with modern farming machinery and methods. Here Black men [unreadable] and operate bus lines and other means of transportation.

Black men can build and own factories of any kind. A Black skin is no hindrance to the holding of any civil or military office. When the war is over, Black builders will be needed in Ethiopia – builders in wood and stone; in iron and steel. We must be ready. This is the great opportunity presented to us by the God of justice.

But we must lend all possible assistance now. Ethiopia needs money; Ethiopian refugees need clothing, they need food, they need the moral support of knowing that the Ethiopians abroad are thinking of them. Mussolini can’t send his hoodlums to gas our people and get away with it. Let us rally to the cause!”

Haile Selassie I and the Battle of Armageddon:

June 30, 1936

REVELATIONS 16:

The Kings of the Earth gather to make war against God

13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

Right after World War I (1914-18, 65 million men mobilized, 35-50 million dead or wounded), US President Woodrow Wilson declared that the war was fought to “make the world safe for democracy.” Wilson then made an unprecedented state visit to Europe and, like a messiah, promised the world everlasting justice and peace by establishing a Covenant called The Charter of The League of Nations. (Revelations 16:13, foul spirit from the mouth of the False Prophet)

In 1929, Benito Mussolini, the Prime Minister of the Fascist Government of Rome (Revelations 13b, The Dragon) signed the Lateran Treaty, trading secular temporal power for spiritual protection (Revelations 13:b), by giving a square mile of its capital seat (The Vatican) to the Pope (Revelations 13:2a, the Beast).

The Beast then blessed the Dragon (Revelations 16:3 foul spirit from moth of the Beast) to invade Ethiopia in violation of the Charter of the League of Nations. The Dragon then shouted from a piazza balcony, “Ethiopia is mine!” (Revelations 16:13 foul spirit from the mouth of the Dragon. Eight dictatorships (Germany, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Austria) along with two democracies (Great Britain and France) sought to betray the principles of “collective security” enshrined in the Charter and sacrifice the blameless Ethiopians to the Beast (Pope) and the Dragon (Mussolini).

Revelations 17:

12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

13 These have one mind and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

On June 30, 1936 the League of Nations headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland convened to consider the question of Italy’s “conquest” of Ethiopia (Revelations 16:14,16). His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I, anointed with the messianic titles King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion of Judah, a blood descendant of the biblical David reigning from David’s Throne in a country reputed to have the Ark of the Covenant, showed up on the morning of June 26, 1936, to present his appeal to the League of Nations. On June 25, HIM Haile Selassie I recalls in his autobiography, “We set out from London and went to Geneva by way of Paris, arriving there by train on the following morning. Subsequently, June 30, 1936 was the day fixed for us to speak Our mind before the representatives of fifty-two nations assembled there.” (Revelations 16:15, “Behold, I come like a thief”).

At the league of Nations rostrum on June 30, 1936, HIM Haile Selassie, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion of Judah said,

“I, Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia, am here today to claim that justice which is due to my people, and the assistance promised to it eight months ago, when fifty nations asserted that aggression had been committed in violation of international treaties.

There is no precedent for a Head of State himself speaking in this assembly. But there is also no precedent for a people being victim of such injustice and being at present threatened by abandonment to its aggressor. Also, there has never before been an example of any Government proceeding to the systematic extermination of a nation by barbarous means, in violation of the most solemn promises made by the nations of the earth that there should not be used against innocent human beings the terrible poison of harmful gases. It is to defend a people struggling for its age-old independence that the head of the Ethiopian Empire has come to Geneva to fulfil this supreme duty, after having himself fought at the head of his armies. . . .

It is my duty to inform the Governments assembled in Geneva, responsible as they are for the lives of millions of men, women and children, of the deadly peril which threatens them, by describing to them the fate which has been suffered by Ethiopia. . . . in that struggle I was the defender of the cause of all small States exposed to the greed of a powerful neighbor.

In October 1935, the 52 nations who are listening to me today gave me an assurance that the aggressor would not triumph, that the resources of the Covenant would be employed in order to ensure the reign of right and the failure of violence. . . .

What have become of the promises made to me as long ago as October 1935? . . . I assert that the problem submitted to the Assembly today is a much wider one. It is not merely a question of the settlement of Italian aggression. It is collective security: it is the very existence of the League of Nations. It is the confidence that each State is to place in international treaties. It is the value of promises made to small States that their integrity and their independence shall be respected and ensured. It is the principle of the equality of States on the one hand, or otherwise the obligation laid upon small Powers to accept the bonds of vassalship. In a word, it is international morality that is at stake. . . . Apart from the Kingdom of the Lord there is not on this earth any nation that is superior to any other. Should it happen that a strong Government finds it may with impunity destroy a weak people, then the hour strikes for that weak people to appeal to the League of Nations to give its judgment in all freedom. God and history will remember your judgment. . . .

I ask the fifty-two nations, who have given the Ethiopian people a promise to help them in their resistance to the aggressor, what are they willing to do for Ethiopia? And the great Powers who have promised the guarantee of collective security to small States on whom weighs the threat that they may one day suffer the fate of Ethiopia, I ask what measures do you intend to take?

Representatives of the World I have come to Geneva to discharge in your midst the most painful of the duties of the head of a State. What reply shall I have to take back to my people?"

As he left the rostrum, HIM Haile Selassie was heard to say, “Today it is us, tomorrow it will be you. You have struck the match in Ethiopia, but it shall burn in Europe!”

With those fateful words, judgment was cast, as it was written in Isaiah 11:4, He

“shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked,” and

Revelations 19:15-16,

“From his mouth issues a sharp sword with which to smite the nations, and . . . on his robe and on his thigh, he has a name inscribed, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.”

Psalms 9:15-16:

“the nations have sunk in the pit which they made; in the net they hid has their own foot been caught. The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgement; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.”

Obadiah 15:

“As you have done, it shall be done to you, your deeds shall return on your own head.”

For claiming the authority of God, enslaving the Earth’s Original People, stealing them, their land and resources, and attempting to commit genocide and exterminate them while finally breaking the solemn Covenant of Peace made before God at the League of Nations, Europe earned the wrath of God. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords, spoke and the extermination of the descendants of the Shasu who first invaded Africa began, followed by World War II.

On January, 1940, Garvey suffered a stroke which caused a cerebral hemorrhage and deprived him of his speech. On June 10, Garvey suffered a second cerebral hemorrhage and cardiac arrest and died in London after a second stroke at the outbreak of the Battle of Britain. Haile Selassie left England for Khartoum, Sudan at that time, arriving on July 3. On August 5 Dr. Malaku Bayen suffered a nervous breakdown and was rushed to Bellevue Hospital where he died.

By January, HIM Haile Selassie departed from Khartoum.

On May 5, 1941, exactly five years to the day Haile Selassie left Ethiopia to fight the Battle of Armageddon at the League of Nations, Haile Selassie returned to his throne, having defeated the Italians.

The land and waters had been poisoned, three out of four educated Ethiopians were killed, and the Emperor now had the task of rebuilding his nation. Commenting on the support given to Ethiopia during the war, HIM Haile Selassie said, “

As it turns out, a genuine friend is tested in times of crisis, and the heavy challenge We encountered has enabled Us to distinguish between a friend and foe. We cannot afford passing without mentioning the substantial support and political agitation which millions of Americans, particularly Black Americans, have made.”

Thus, as a reward for their support in 1948 HIM Haile Selassie I granted 5 gashas of land in Shashemane to be administered through the Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated.

Remember, when the Italians invaded Ethiopia was the last free, independent and unconquered nation in Africa. Had the Ethiopians been defeated, there would be no independent Africa today.

Remember again that in 1917 a Black man named Charles Henry Holmes ( pen name Clayton Adams) wrote Ethiopia, The Land of Promise: A Book With A Purpose. In the book, five Black men had strange dreams which caused them all to meet together on May 5. MAY 5, 1936 was the day that the

ETHIOPIAN KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS, CONQUERING LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH LEFT ETHIOPIA TO GO FIGHT THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON AT THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

One of the dreams in described in the book pictured Black soldiers and a red, gold and green flag. The men began meeting on the fifth of every month and realized that their dream was about forming an organization, the Ethiopian Union, in order to combat and conquer Jim Crowism in America. Two years after the book was published, the STAR ORDER OF ETHIOPIA was started in Chicago renouncing Jim Crow American Citizenship and pledging allegiance to the Ethiopian Government of Ras Tafari. After the Battle of Armageddon,

ETHIOPIAN KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS, CONQUERING LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH RETURNED TO ETHIOPIA AND REGAINED HIS THRONE, ALSO ON MAY 5TH, 1941!

How could this story have been told 24 years prior to it happening? How could it have been told in Revelations hundreds of years before it happened?

THE ANSWER IS COMMUNICATION FROM THE ANCESTRAL REALM FROM ANCESTORS TO THEIR LIVING OFFSPRING ON EARTH.

In the book, their dream was about forming an organization, the Ethiopian Union . . . After HIM Haile Selassie I regained his throne on May 5, 1941, he helped other people in Africa fight and defeat their European colonial invaders. By 1960, 17 countries had been liberated and become independent.

By May 23, 1963, there were thirty-three (33) independent African nations that formed the Organization of African Unity (OAU), headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The dream of an “Ethiopian Union” had come to pass!

All that remained was REPATRIATING the black people living in the land of their captivity. Malcolm X went to the OAU in 1964 to receive his instructions but they murdered him.