Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Haile Selassie - The Self-Proclaimed 'Caucasian' Who Africans Mistook For A Black Saviour - The African Exponent
Haile Selassie - The Self-Proclaimed 'Caucasian' Who Africans Mistook For A Black Saviour - The African Exponent
Haile Selassie - The Self-Proclaimed 'Caucasian' Who Africans Mistook For A Black Saviour - The African Exponent
Tatenda Gwaambuka
Mon, Jun 17, 2019
Haile Selassie described himself as a Caucasian, was not quick to abolish slavery and was the West's 'moderate' dictator of
choice. As Marcus Garvey said, the Emperor was just an ordinary man.
Our problems begin with a statement purported to have been made by Marcus Garvey
in the 1920s:
“
near
Look to Africa, when a black king shall be crowned for the day of deliverance is
A few clarifications need to be made from the onset - Firstly, there is no proof that
Garvey made such a statement and some people have attributed it to Reverend James
Morris Webb who may have said something to that effect at a convention in 1924.
Secondly, even if he said it, Garvey's appraisal of Selassie was provably scathing and
most uncharitable thus rebuffing any romanticization of the emperor's legacy. Garvey
called Selassie "a great coward" and "the leader of a country where black men are
chained and flogged". Ernest Cashmore's Dictionary of Race and Ethnic Relations
says, "...what Garvey said was less important than what he was reputed to have said".
https://www.africanexponent.com/post/10378-the-legacy-of-a-caucasian-god-masquerading-as-a-black-messiah?fbclid=IwAR1EKVe_B4X0h03nvTpO… 1/6
6/23/2019 Haile Selassie: The Self-Proclaimed 'Caucasian' Who Africans Mistook For A Black Saviour | The African Exponent
And so the world romanticized with the mythical black savior instead of confronting
the reality of the man who made many mistakes.
On March 8 in 1964, the New York Times ran a story on the Emperor with a long,
convoluted title that ironically betrayed the publication's goal to confuse the reader
into believing a despotic slave-owner could be the best thing that ever happened to
Africa. "An Emperor Tries to Unite Africa; A generation older than other leaders. a
moderate among radicals and Africa's last feudal monarch, Haile Selassie has taken
on the task of forging Pan‐African unity," so went the title. The article admitted that
Selassie was not the father of African unity because Kwame Nkrumah had preceded
him.
Robert Hariman, in Political Style: The Artistry of Power, thus concluded that, "At once
African and darling of the West, Selassie appropriated the traditions and mythic
history of a monarchy to maintain a modern dictatorship, and while portrayed as a
model of royal prerogative, and African independence, he served the interests of
European imperialism." Similarly, Gérard Prunier, a French author said of Selassie,
"Foreign powers were well aware of the reactionary, unbearable and oppressive
nature of the Ethiopian Solomonic dynasty but they all had favorite dictators - and the
emperor was a magnificent one." Ethiopia was especially close to the United States of
America and the country only pivoted to Russia after the revolution that deposed
Selassie.
An ordinary man
https://www.africanexponent.com/post/10378-the-legacy-of-a-caucasian-god-masquerading-as-a-black-messiah?fbclid=IwAR1EKVe_B4X0h03nvTpO… 2/6
6/23/2019 Haile Selassie: The Self-Proclaimed 'Caucasian' Who Africans Mistook For A Black Saviour | The African Exponent
The Emperor, therefore, sat on the issue for so long that Italy used that inertia as an
excuse to invade Ethiopia in 1935. Upon the invasion, Marcus Garvey justifiably
accused Selassie of being a slavemaster. Attacking Haile Selassie's contrived divinity,
Garvey said, "After all, Haile Selassie is just an ordinary man like any other human
being. What right has he to hold men as slaves?" But maybe the problem has always
been that he has been treated like the god he is not. This is, after all, the same Haile
Selassie who annexed Eritrea in 1962 in indefensible circumstances that went against
the United Nations imposed federation.
A lot more could be said about the Emperor, the Negusa Nagast (King of Kings) and
the Messianic figure whose mythos has overshadowed his true legacy. Hidden in the
puffery and unsustainable pan-African legacy are some truths: He indeed managed to
get African leaders together (albeit on conciliatory and more placatory terms to the
world order than Nkrumah would have done). Once one accepts he was no god, it is
easy to appreciate his complexity as an ordinary human being without the trappings
of perfection that are expected of deities. Let Haile Selassie be an ordinary man like
any other human being for his mistakes prove that is all he was.
Are you impressed, have any concerns, or think we can improve this article? Comment below or email us.
Comments
https://www.africanexponent.com/post/10378-the-legacy-of-a-caucasian-god-masquerading-as-a-black-messiah?fbclid=IwAR1EKVe_B4X0h03nvTpO… 3/6
6/23/2019 Haile Selassie: The Self-Proclaimed 'Caucasian' Who Africans Mistook For A Black Saviour | The African Exponent
Show Comments
You currently do not have any items in your read later list. If you have an account and you are signed in, any added articles will appear here
and they will be available in all your devices
The Top Ten Most Powerful Militaries Taking Back Our Wealth: How African
in Africa, 2019 Leaders Gave up Economic Equality to
From fighting extreme insurgency and Gain Political Freedom
protecting dictators in power, Af... Africa's pan-African luminaries gave up
Thu, Jun 13, 2019 economic emancipation to gain ...
Thu, Jun 13, 2019
Who are the Janjaweed, the Militia Kenya’s 2019/2020 Budget is Larger
Behind Sudan's Army Crackdown? than that of Uganda, Tanzania and
With the streets of Khartoum being roamed Rwanda Combined
by such a militia, known to ... Interestingly, the three countries have a
Wed, Jun 19, 2019 joint population of over 112...
Fri, Jun 14, 2019
Related Stories
New Evidence: The Real Reason "We Miss You Colonel Gaddafi," Cry the
Gaddafi Was Killed Troubled Libyans
Qaddafi was not killed for humanitarian Libya died with Gaddafi. The people of
purposes but for the oil and f... Libya have never been worse off...
Wed, Apr 6, 2016 Sun, Oct 2, 2016
2020 could mark the end of the colonial An American missionary, Renee Bach, went
CFA Franc currency in 8 countr... to Uganda masquerading as a d...
Wed, Jun 19, 2019 Sun, Jun 16, 2019
U.S. Embassy in Kenya Rejects New Why The DRC Is Hungry To Join The
Kenyan Banknotes East African Community
Are we giving too much leverage to Here is why the Democratic Republic of
foreigners in Africa? Congo is so keen on joining the...
Tue, Jun 18, 2019 Sun, Jun 16, 2019
READ LATER HOME POLITICS TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS CULTURE & LIFE MARKETS
ENTREPRENEURSHIP WORLD TRAVEL BLOGS
https://www.africanexponent.com/post/10378-the-legacy-of-a-caucasian-god-masquerading-as-a-black-messiah?fbclid=IwAR1EKVe_B4X0h03nvTpO… 5/6
6/23/2019 Haile Selassie: The Self-Proclaimed 'Caucasian' Who Africans Mistook For A Black Saviour | The African Exponent
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Service Newsletters African Crosswords My Account
Sign In Register
SUBSCRIBE
https://www.africanexponent.com/post/10378-the-legacy-of-a-caucasian-god-masquerading-as-a-black-messiah?fbclid=IwAR1EKVe_B4X0h03nvTpO… 6/6