By LIBEN EABISA:-
New York (Tadias) – The arrival of the first Ethiopian
diplomatic delegation to the United States on July 11, 1919 made headlines in
Chicago, where journalists eagerly awaited their opportunity to meet and
interview the delegation.
At the time Woodrow Wilson was serving as the 28th President
of the United States. In Ethiopia, Empress Zawditu, the eldest daughter of Emperor
Menelik, was the reigning monarch.
Dejasmatch Nadew, Empress Zawdituís
nephew and Commander of the Imperial Army, along with Ato Belaten-ghetta Hiruy
Wolde Sellassie, Mayor of Addis Ababa, Kentiba Gebru, Mayor of Gonder, and Ato
Sinkas, Dejamatch Nadew’s secretary, comprised the first official Ethiopian
delegation to the United States in the summer of 1919.
The main purpose of their trip was
to renew the 1904 Treaty of Amity (Friendship) between the United States and
Ethiopia (brokered when President
Theodore Roosevelt authorized 37-year-old Robert P. Skinner
to negotiate a commercial treaty with Emperor Menelik).
The treaty had expired in 1917. This
four-man delegation to the United States became known as the Abyssinian
mission.
The distinguished delegation headed
to the White House in Washington D.C. after staying at the elegant
Waldorf-Astoria in Chicago.
The group visited the U.S. at a time
when blacks were by law second-class citizens and the most common crime against
American blacks was lynching. Before leaving Chicago, a reporter for the Chicago Defender,
an African American newspaper, asked the delegation what they thought about
lynching in the U.S. The representatives responded “[We] dislike brutality…
lynching of any nature, and other outrages heaped upon your people.”
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| President Woodrow Wilson |
African-Americans were inspired to
see a proud African delegation being treated with so much respect by U.S.
officials. Newspapers reported that in honor of the delegation’s visit “the
flag of Abyssinia, which is of green, yellow, and red horizontal stripes, flew
over the national capitol.”
The Chicago Defender reported that the delegation expressed their support for
the struggle of American blacks and gave them words of encouragement. A member
of the press had inquired if the group had advice to African-Americans. Ato
Hiruy Wolde Sellassie, who spoke fluent English, replied: “Fight on. Don’t
Stop.”
The Ethiopian presence at the
Waldorf Astoria, dressed in their traditional white robe and pant attire
attracted large attention.
Upon arriving in Washington D.C.
they took up residence at Hotel Lafayette and awaited their formal presentation
at the White House.
“It perhaps is of much interest to
know that the Abyssinian religion is the oldest Christian religion in the
world”, Captain Morris, the delegation’s chaperon, told reporters. “The queen
of Sheba, who visited Solomon was once their queen, and the present ruler is
descended from the queen of Sheba.”
The Abyssinian Mission enjoyed an
overall warm welcome and before returning to Ethiopia, they toured the cities
of New York and San Francisco. They also visited an Irish Catholic cathedral, a
Jewish synagogue, the Metropolitan Baptist Church in Harlem, and Yellowstone
National Park.
About the Author:
Liben Eabisa: is the Founder & Publisher of Tadias Magazine. He is also the publisher of the book: Abyssinia of Today – Reissue of Robert P. Skinner’s memoir, a narrative of the first American diplomatic mission to black Africa. Liben Eabisa lives in New York City.
Liben Eabisa: is the Founder & Publisher of Tadias Magazine. He is also the publisher of the book: Abyssinia of Today – Reissue of Robert P. Skinner’s memoir, a narrative of the first American diplomatic mission to black Africa. Liben Eabisa lives in New York City.
Source: Tadias Addis