Zewditu was Empress of Ethiopia from 1916 until her death in 1930. She was the first female head to regnant of the Ethiopian Empire. Empress Zewditu's letter, also known as the "Call to Africa," was an open invitation to African Americans and other people of African descent to return to Ethiopia, their ancestral homeland in 1920's.
Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican-American civil rights leader, founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in 1914. This movement aimed to promote African unity and self determination, encourage African diasporic people to return to Africa, and establish economic and cultural ties between Africa and the diaspora.
Garvey and Zeweditu exchanged letters, discussing cooperation and potential collaboration. UNIA's Ethiopian focus: Garvey's organization actively promoted Ethiopia as a destination for African repatriation. Zewditu's invitation for African Americans to return to Ethiopia, resonated with Garvey's ideas. Their connection highlights the boarder Pan-African movement's emphasis on unity, self determination, and cooperation between Africa and its diasporic communities.
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