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Left page, top Right: Prince Ermias, his
wife with representatives from the Black
Clergy of America.
Left page, top Left - Ras B & Kegnazzmatch (General) Azibite Haptemariam
Ethiopian Royalty Visits Chicago
By Wolette Selassie Haile Selassie
This past summer (June 2014), Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie,
grandson of King Haile Selassie I and a prominent member
of the Ethiopian Royal Family, was invited to Chicago by the
Queen of Sheba on the 60th anniversary of his grandfather’s,
King Haile Selassie I, visit in 1954, and the 78th anniversary
of King Selassie I’s historic speech to the League of Nations
in 1936.
During His historic four-day visit, various receptions were
held to welcome Prince Ermias to Chicago. Receptions were
hosted by The Chicago Defender,
The New Century Fellowship of
Churches & Ministries, The Ethiopian Executive Host Committee, and
The Rastafarian Host Committee
of Chicago in order to re-establish
bonds of friendship and brotherhood as did his grandfather in
1954.
of Sheba’s board. The foundation’s television production
team produced presented a number of min-documentaries
to provide attendees a first-time glimpse of the ancient Holy
City and its Holy Mountain. The documentaries revealed
how The Throne of KUSH was continued in AXUM, the
ancient capital city of the Queen of Sheba (Queen of the
South) where the Solomonic Dynasty and the Throne of
David began.
People came from as far away as New York, Texas, New
Mexico, and California to hear
Prince Ermias give his presentation. Special Guest speaker Dr.
Michael Murray, Chairman of
The Diaspora African RasTafari
Congress, Inc. (DARC) in New York
and President of the New York
Chapter of the Ethiopian Holocaust Remembrance Committee,
accompanied by Sister I-Chelle,
The crowning achievement of
General Secretary, introduced The
the Queen of Sheba’s inaugural
Honorable Kegnazmatch (General)
historical event was a scholarly
Azibite Haptemariam, an 89 year
presentation Prince Ermias gave
old surviving Ethiopian patriot
Kegnazmatch (General) Azibite Haptemariam
at the Dusable Museum of African
and guerrilla warrior who joined
American History on “The Origins of
the war against fascist Italy at 13 to defend his beloved
the Solomonic Dynasty, The Throne of David in Ethiopia, and
country from Mussolini’s fascist campaign of genocide from
the Religious Symbolism of the Lion of Judah.” The five-hun1935 – 1941.
dred seat auditorium was filled to capacity, causing people
When the program concluded, one African-American atto be turned away.
tendee exclaimed, “I feel as if I’ve just had four years of college
This historic event was the culmination of forty years of
in three hours!” An Ethiopian youth was heard saying, “Our
investigative research by executive members of the Queen
history must not be suppressed because of politics. I was
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Magazine / September 2012
The Black Community’s Response
Most of our people have never met or had an opportunity hear the
words of African royalty and those in attendance felt honored that
Prince Ermias took the time to visit them in Chicago. The community gave him an overwhelming response. Enthusiastically, over
500 people came out to hear His Highness and many were turned
away for lack of seating. Such an overwhelming response demonstrated and symbolized the black community’s hunger and desire,
young and old, to learn more about their heritage before slavery.
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Left Image - (L-R) Dr Asantewaa’s daughter and Dr. B.
Bottom Right - (L-R) Zaile Sellassie, Dr B and Dr. Asantewaa.
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Top Image - Queen of Sheba (QS) Rep resentatives, Wolette Selassie, 2nd from the
right and Nathaniel Mayes III, far left, with
DARC Members (Dr B and Sister I-Chelle,
center; Dr Asantewaa, last on the right;
Ras Kwadwo, center left, at the DuSable
Museum.
Magazine / September 2012
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