HAILE SELASSIE I (1892-1975)
Crown Prince and Regent of the Ethiopian Empire from 1916 to 1928, and then King and Regent from 1928 to 1930, and finally Emperor from 1930 to 1974. He is a defining figure in modern Ethiopian history and is also regarded as the messiah of the African race by many Rastafarians
The likeness of Haile Selassie has been given pride of place outside the African Union’s headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in recognition for his role in establishing its predecessor, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and his directives to African youth.
He brought Ethiopia into the League of Nations and the United Nations and made Addis Ababa the major center for the Organization of African Unity (now African Union), and when Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1935, Haile Selassie led the resistance, but in May 1936 he was forced into exile.
He appealed for help from the League of Nations in a memorable speech that he delivered to that body in Geneva on June 30, 1936. With the advent of World War II, he secured British assistance in forming an army of Ethiopian exiles in the Sudan. British and Ethiopian forces invaded Ethiopia in January 1941 and recaptured Addis Ababa several months later.
While his legacy is complicated and he has reputable detractors, we have decided to honor the Emperor after reading the following excerpt from his famous speech to the United Nations General Assembly in 1963 that inspired reggae legend Bob Marley to write his hit song “War”. His words reflect our goals as a company, and read as follows:
“That until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned: That until there are no longer first-class and second class citizens of any nation; That until the color of a man’s skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes; That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to race; That until that day, the dream of lasting peace and world citizenship and the rule of international morality will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never attained; And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes that hold our brothers in Angola, in Mozambique and in South Africa in subhuman bondage have been toppled and destroyed; Until bigotry and prejudice and malicious and inhuman self-interest have been replaced by understanding and tolerance and good-will; Until all Africans stand and speak as free beings, equal in the eyes of all men, as they are in the eyes of Heaven; Until that day, the African continent will not know peace. We Africans will fight, if necessary, and we know that we shall win, as we are confident in the victory of good over evil.”
Article (The romantic rewriting of Haile Selassie’s legacy must stop) link: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/africaatlse/2019/02/04/the-romantic-rewriting-of-haile-selassies-legacy-must-stop/
‘Feel the needs of others more than your own.’
Haile Selassie’s wise words could not be more relevant than they are today.
Haile Selassie t-shirt– inspiring others through time
The messiah of the African race foresaw the struggles before anyone else. His efforts to modernize his country and included it in the League of Nations and the United Nations. The Haile Selassie t-shirt is a massive hit in remembering people who never let their people. That kind of support is required today so that no one feels like a lesser human being merely based on the color of his skin.
