African-American Reactions to War in Ethiopia, 1936-1941 [Hardcover]

Joseph E. Harris (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1994

This book discusses African-American sympathies with Ethiopia particularly during the Italo-Ethiopian War of 1936-1941, which was a war between a European power against a weak African country that struck a collaborative effort from descendant Africans in the Americas for racial freedom and dignity.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 248 pages
• Publisher: Louisiana State University Press (February 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080711832X
• ISBN-13: 978-0807118320
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,296,137 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EXCEPTIONALLY EXCELLENT BOOK TO READ, December 1, 2000

By 

Fasil S. Gessesse (Gondar, Ethiopia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: African-American Reactions to War in Ethiopia, 1936-1941 (Hardcover)

Joseph E. Harris' best selling book "African-American Reaction to War in Ethiopia 1936-1941" prevail vividly the historical facts and the African-Americans and other Africans reactions. Mr. Harris dedicated his research to bring the strong relationship between Ethiopians and African Americans. You will read more in detail about the aggressive movement of the African-American to defend Ethiopia from Italians' fascism in the following manner: the African-Americans wrote a letter to the city mayor all the way to President Roosevelt. They boycotted the Italian own business and demonstrated on the America streets against Italian. They enlisted to go to Ethiopia to fight the war beside their Ethiopians brother and sisters.

I'm going to take the direct quote from the book to show the deepness of the relationship and its highest pick during mid 1930's as one of the African-American statement.

"...a tendency to avoid the label of Negro in favor of Ethiopian. One black American said, "I do not want to be called Negro, colored, or [n-word]. Either term is an insult to me or you. Our rightful name is Ethiopian." (P. 7)

African Americans was significantly enlisted in different cities in America to go to Ethiopia to fight the Fascist Italians. The American State Department issued a statement based on the legislation:

..."American citizen shall be deemed to have expatriated himself when he had been naturalized in any foreign state in conformity with its laws."

The African Americans viewpoint to the American State Department as Orhardo Andrews, of New York City, stated.

"First the Africans who are residing here and all the West did not come here voluntarily, but by an act of kidnapping which today is punishable in the United States by death...As for loosing our citizenship of this country, we don't give a nick about that. This citizenship is of no value to us.... If you country can not protect us when we are citizens and living here, why should we worry about it?" (P. 41)

In the same book you would learn about Ethiopians who were resided in American. Dr. Melaku Bayen was one of prominent among the many Ethiopians who worked with African American in New York City. He was also the editor and the father of "ETHIOPIAN REVIEW" magazine as far back as in the early 1930. You can request the copy of the magazine form American Congress Library. The magazine encompassed all the black people in the globe. It was rich with Pan-Africanism ideology.

I found it diligently researched book to learn the oldest relationship between Ethiopian and African-Americans. I recommend for anyone who would like to learn the magnitude support Ethiopia received during 1935 to 1941 mainly from our African American brothers and sisters.

I'm certain the book will also shed some light about European unfounded characterization of Ethiopians to justify and qualify their dark history against humanity.