Ethiopian Biblical Origins of Ethiopia

 

Ancient Abyssinia and the History of the Ethiopian Empire

 

The Last Director of the Ethiopian Research Council Founded by Malaku Bayen 1934

The last Director/Coordinator of the Ethiopian Research Council was internationally known scholar/ethnomusicologist Professor Ashenafi Kebede, who also served as Director of the Center for African American Culture and Professor of Ethnomusicology, African & Afro-American Studies, both at The Florida State University. 

Though renowned in Ethiopia as the Founder/Director of the National (Yared) School of Music, which has graduated practically all the living performing musical and music educators of Ethiopia, Prof. Kebede was internationally known as an ethnomusicological scholar, the first person to receive the Ph.D. degree in his field from the famed Wesleyan University (1971, Middletown, Connecticut); the first African to conduct the famous Hungarian State Orchestra (1967). 

Professor Kebede also served in several prestigious positions at the international level serving as the UNESCO Expert to The Government of Sudan where he founded the Sudanese Institute of Music, Dance and Drama, and Chairman of the Teheran International Conference on Music Education in the Countries of Africa & Asia organized by UNESCO

THE LION AND THE CONDOR: The Untold Story of Col. John C. Robinson and the Crippling of Ethiopia

 

Col. John C. Robinson was the first African American aviator licensed in the US, the first African American aviation instructor in America. He taught the first African American women pilots in America and the first Ethiopia women pilots. It was his idea that gave birth to the famous Tuskegee Airmen of WWII fame. Known as the "Brown Condor of Ethiopia," he became an international hero and legend fighting against Mussolini's fascism in Ethiopia in 1935.

Ethiopian Research Council 2021

                                   Ethiopian Research Council 2021 

In discussions and research about the Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated, Norvin Bey Isra-El (a former student of Dr. Asante) and I discovered that Malaku Bayen founded the Ethiopian Research Council at Howard University in Washington D.C. nearly three years before the Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated in 1934. 

On February 6^th, 2020, I reached out to Dr Molefi Asante by phone to get his input of the history of the council since we discovered he was a former board member. On that call Dr. Asante gave us the “ok” to restart the council in words, “you should do that”. He also gave the name of an Ethiopian Professor that may also be interested.

History

The Ethiopian Research Council (ERC) was founded in 1934 in Washington, D.C. by a group of Ethiopian and American professionals and scholars. The Council is the brainchild of Dr. Melaku Bayen, a surgeon, one of the twelve founding members & the guiding light of ERC strategies until his death; he was the first Ethiopian to graduate with an Medical Doctorate from an institution in the USA. The distinguished Professor William Leo Hansbury was elected as the first Director of the Ethiopian Research Council in 1934 while the suave William Steen handled the day to day affairs of the ERC as Executive Secretary demonstrating his unusually outstanding skills in administration and public relations as well as his love of Ethiopia and Ethiopian causes. Professor Hansbury's was a distinguished professor of history at Howard University, who received the coveted Haile Selassie I Prize in Literature (then the African equivalent to the European Noble Prize) in 1963. Before he died in 1965, he completed a manuscript on ancient Ethiopian history which was later published by Howard University Press in 1974 under the title Ethiopia: The Pillar of Civilization. Professor Hansbury was the founder of the African Studies Program at Howard, which later became the first Black Studies Department in the United States and the world.

 

Past Leadership

Dr. Wossene Yifru assumed the leadership of the Ethiopian Research Council in 1989 and convened to Conferences in 1990 and 1991 which were well attended by Ethiopians and Ethiopianist scholars all over the world. Dr. Wossene's contributions to ERC include his publication as Editor three informative & beautiful issues of Henok, Journal of ERC both in Amharic and English. During his tenure as Director, Dr. Wossene's was assisted by several outstanding Board Members and Advisors including Dr. Hailu Fullas, Professor Ford, and many others.

                              ERC former Officers & Board Members:
The members of the Board of Directors included internationally known scholars, administrators and educators including:

Dr. Mulugeta Agonafer, Professor Molefi Asante, Mr. William B. Davis (deceased),
Dr. Peter Garretson, Professor Karenga, Distinguished Professor Harold G. Marcus, (deceased), Ato Fasil Gebre Mariam, Ato Aberra Moltot, Ms. Imani Nyah, (Woletta Selassie), Professor Richard Pankhurst (deceased), Dr. Fikre Tolossa, and
Dr. Wosene Yefru, Dr Hailu Fullas, Director- Professor Ashenafi Kebede, deceased

 

Former Director

The last Director/Coordinator of the Ethiopian Research Council was internationally known scholar/ethnomusicologist Professor Ashenafi Kebede, who also served as Director of the Center for African American Culture and Professor of Ethnomusicology, African & Afro-American Studies, both at The Florida State University. Though renowned in Ethiopia as the Founder/Director of the National (Yared) School of Music, which has graduated practically all the living performing musical and music educators of Ethiopia, he was internationally known as an ethnomusicological scholar, the first person to receive the Ph.D. degree in his field from the famed Wesleyan University (1971, Middletown, Connecticut); the first African to conduct the famous Hungarian State Orchestra (1967). He has also served in several prestigious positions at the international level serving as the UNESCO Expert to The Government of Sudan where he founded the Sudanese Institute of Music, Dance and Drama, and Chairman of the Teheran International Conference on Music Education in the Countries of Africa & Asia organized by UNESCO.

 

Purpose of ERC

The Ethiopian Research Council has the unique purpose of disseminating information on the history, culture, civilization, and diplomatic relations of Ethiopia in ancient and modern times. Ethiopia is the seat of one of the oldest living civilizations in the world. It possessed civil and social institutions of a high order of development long before Europe had emerged as a nation state, and in the heyday of the Classical Age it was universally regarded as one of the greatest and most powerful nations of the earth. Believing that the culture of this ancient and long-lived nation deserves a wider currency than contemporary thought and scholarship have accorded it, the Ethiopian Research Council (ERC) has set itself to the performance of the following important task:

(a) An annual convention.
(b) Publication of the journal Ethiopia's Morning Star.
(c) Ethiopian Research Council Awards & Honors.
(d) Working with educational institutions in Ethiopia and abroad, ERC encourages and assists talented Ethiopian youths to get access to higher education abroad.

For Additional information, write or contact: moorziontp@gmail.com

 

 

Coming Soon!

 

Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated

The Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated (The “EWF” or the “Federation”), 

is a not-for-profit membership organization, incorporated in New York City in 1937, which holds Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations.  It is a tax exempt 501(C)4 Civic League, Social welfare organization having non-profit 501(C)3 status as well. The organizational structure provides for child entities (Locals) functioning to carry out the organization’s Aims and Objects on a grassroots level in their resident domains. The Locals provide the membership base and function through several committees and units each having their own responsibilities – youth, health, education, housing, women’s issues, music, ways and means etc. Any 25 qualifying members can submit a request to form a Local in their community.

§  History

In The Real Facts about Ethiopia, J. A. Rogers, writing of His Imperial Majesty, states: “Lastly, in one of his declarations Haile Selassie announced that he is the head, not only of Ethiopia, but of all people of African descent everywhere.”

During the Italian invasion of Ethiopia (1935-1941) a group of prominent Harlemites who were leaders of United Aid For Africa sought an audience with the Emperor of Ethiopia, His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, who was in exile in Bath, England at the time to discuss “financial matters”. In response to their request for His assistance and oversight in providing a coordinated and organized effort to support Ethiopia in her time of need, His Majesty empowered His emissary, cousin and personal physician, Dr. Malaku Emanuel Bayen, to establish the Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated with a Constitution and Bylaws with a lofty set of aims and objects summarized in this preamble:

“We the Black People of the World, in order to effect Unity, Solidarity, Liberty, Freedom and self-determination, to secure Justice and maintain the Integrity of Ethiopia, which is our divine heritage, do hereby establish and ordain this constitution for The Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated”.

In 1945 the Emperor granted land in Shashemene, Ethiopia into the care of the EWF, Inc. for sons and daughters of African Slaves in the Diaspora who desired to return to the Motherland – with a promise to provide more land as needed.  He therefore created a Perpetual Land Grant. In 1970, the Emperor personally appointed Ras Marcus Selassie (Solomon Wolfe), then a Director of the EWF, Inc. Charter #43 in Kingston, Jamaica as Administrator of the Land Grant. He still maintains his post, living on the Land Grant, and along with the EWF, Inc. Resident Country Representative, can be reached at: 011-251-4611-03925.

Benefits of Membership

Based on the Constitution and By-laws of our Organization, the following are some of the benefits that The Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated is expected to provide for its members, and some that it may elect to provide based on its registration, the social and economic issues facing the membership, and the character of the organization.  Locals and Headquarters must work together to attain our aims and objects and provide charitable services “without fee or charge”.  We welcome members and professionals (member or non-member) who can offer services to our members and the communities that we live in – at home and abroad.

§  Sovereignty & Indigenous Rights §  Repatriation & Reparations §  Employment §  All areas and level of Education §  Welfare/Social Services §  Health Services §  Death Benefit

§  Credit Union §  Labor Union §  Housing §  Vocational Training §   Industry, Agriculture, Trade, Cooperatives §  Legal Support §  Prison Services /Ministry

§  Juvenile/Children Services §  Rehabilitation (Drug and Crime) §  Homeless Services §  Music Unit/ Cultural Expression §  Women’s Issues §  Senior Services

The membership of The Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated is committed to “doing all we can to restore the continent of Ethiopia-Africa to her former state of complete independence and self-reliance thereby effecting a social and economic betterment of the race everywhere and humanity in general.”  All members are encouraged to become involved in a revitalized effort by the organization, which includes:

§  (a) attaining the aims and objects of the Constitution; (

§  b) participating in an international membership drive – each one bring one;

§  (c) developing local charitable programs;

§  (d) participating in at least one Local and one International Committee;

§  (e) helping to raise funds to function the registered projects in Ethiopia,

§  (f) coming together with a united approach for the organized Repatriation with adequate Reparations for the Black Family in the Diaspora with involvement of International agencies, world governments and other entities that benefited from the African holocaust.  Excerpts of the Aims and Objects:

Article I Section 2. The aims and objects of the Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated, shall be:

§  (a) To promote love and good-will among Ethiopians at home and abroad and thereby to maintain the integrity and sovereignty of Ethiopia, to disseminate the ancient Ethiopian culture among its members, to correct abuses, relieve oppression and carve for ourselves and our posterity, a destiny comparable with our idea of perfect manhood and God’s purpose in creating us; that we may not only save ourselves from annihilation, but carve for ourselves a place in the Sun: in this endeavor, we determine to seek peace and pursue it, for it is the will of God for man.

§  (b) To promote and pursue happiness; for it is the goal of human life and endeavor.

§  (c) To usher in the teaching and practice of the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man.

LOCALS

Locals (branches or charters) of the Federation are located worldwide. The Constitution has guidelines for the function of Locals and the Executive Council/Board of Directors/Headquarters, and provides for Committees and units addressing matters including membership, ways and means, education, information, juvenile and musical units, women’s issues, publicity, health, a Death benefit, etc.  Locals must function to benefit their communities by providing charitable services within their domestic domain. Membership joining fee still remains at US$1.00 and membership dues are only 10c per week ($5.20 per year) – as it was in 1937. Donations are also welcome.anthon