It was the early or mid 1960s when my brother, U.S. Army, received orders he would be shipped to Ethiopia (in or around Addis Ababa) to a U.S. military installation. It wasn't the original plan that's where he would have likely ever been shipped, but one that came by at the demands of the late Ethiopian Emperor, Haile Selassie. It wasn't a personal request that my brother be sent. Just a demand that more people of color be installed at the installation.
As the story goes, Emperor Selassie was scheduled to appear at some type of event at that U.S. installation. But when he arrived he saw no people of color present. So he cancelled the engagement and informed them he'd only return when they had people of color present. That's how one of my brothers (all seven served at various points) received orders he was being sent to Ethiopia, along with several other soldiers of color. Otherwise, without the emperor's demands, they'd have never met.
Another time, later after my brother's arrival, there was some type of dinner engagement held at the installation, where the late Emperor Selassie was invited. When the emperor arrived, he again noticed there were no people of color from that installation attending. Once again, Emperor Selassie, as the story goes, cancelled that dinner engagement and sent word to the installation's commander he'd not honor the request unless there were soldiers of color at the engagement. So the dinner engagement was cancelled, had to be rescheduled and that's how my brother came to personally meet Emperor Selassie in the emperor's lifetime.
After receiving pictures and other material my brother sent back home, as a young girl, I became fascinated and intrigued by the images of the emperor, and started doing a little research on him and his history. My fascination grew from realizing how much the emperor resembled family on my father's side of the family. I knew a little something about my grandfather (my father's father) who was either white or "mulatto" (term he would have been considered in his lifetime, if grandfather was not considered purely white, although he very much looked it, but could have been the product of a white father and black mother), but I never knew anything much about the possible lineage of my great-grandmother Charity who, as a slave, had been sold away, and any history of who or where she may have come from was forever lost. Even if she herself might have known. I'm not sure if great-grandmother Charity is from my grandmother's side of the family or grandfather's side (if he was indeed part black/or "mulatto').
Emperor Selassie wasn't a physically big person, only standing at about 5' 2" and very slim, although much of my family especially on the male side are much taller. Yet his regalness alone was imposing and could capture the attention of an entire room, my brother said. His insistence of always demanding that African-American soldiers from the base be at any and every function before he would honor an invitation really left a great impression on my brother. In those days, such things would have been basically unheard of in America.
Haile Selassie is said to have been descended from the Solominic Dynasty that ruled Ethiopia in the 10th century B.C. His lineage is believed to be descendants of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. His birth name was Tafari Makonnen.
Emperor Selassie's long goal sought to modernize Ethiopia, but famine would break out in the early '70s (long after my brother's departure) devastating the country. In 1974 mutiny would break out in his army and guerilla war would break out in Eritrea. Emperor Selassie would be overthrown and placed on house arrest at his palace sometime during this period. He was found dead at that palace in 1975 at the age of 83. At first it was said he died of natural causes, but later it would be determined there was evidence he may have been murdered by strangulation.
I still hold on to those postcards and other small items my brother sent while he was stationed in Ethiopia (Addis Ababa/Eritera/Asmara), along with the one long image of the emperor. I'll forever cherish the stories he told, some quite funny, of Ethiopia's last great emperor and some of his demands.
In 1992, the remains of Emperor Selassie was discovered buried at his royal palace. In 2000, he would receive a proper burial and his body would be laid to rest in Addis Ababa's Trinity Cathedral.
Ironically, 50 years later another young relative's family would also find themselves assigned to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Emperor Haile Selassie: both worshipped and at times mocked. Mostly, often misunderstood. But all in all a most remarkable and impressionable experience for a young 20 something year old African-American soldier in the 1960s.
Brenda Washington