Haille Selassie I

He was born on the 23rd of July 1892. His real name was Ras Tafari Makonnen. He was the grand nephew of emperor Menelik. In 1916 he chased emperor Menelik's successor Lij Lyasu and made himself regent. In the 1930`s Ethiopia got a new emperor: Haille Selassie I. He was to become the most important symbol of rastafarianism. They say that he descended from King Solomon of Israel and the queen of Sheba.
In 1935 Italy invaded Ethiopia. Haille Selassie tried to resist but it was futile. None of the western countries even after he had pledged for help in his very impressive speech for the UN. This speech was used later by Bob Marley in the song "War". At last he got help from Great Britain. He fled in exile to England where he got help the British with their campaign that in 1942 freed Ethiopia and put him back on the throne.
During his time on the throne he made lots of reformations. In 1942-44 she accomplished a major land reform and in 1942 he freed the slaves in Ethiopia and in 1955 he gave the people the right to vote. He also gave everyone the right to go to school, which only the richer people in Ethiopia could do at that time. In 1960 an attempt to remove from the throne led by his son the crown prince Asfa Wossen was overthrown. Though in 1974 the military revolted against him since he didn't do anything to prevent the corruption, starvation and drought that the country suffered from. He died on the 27th of August in 1975 in Addis Ababa.
He played a very important role for both rastafarianism and other black movements even though he never really understood how important his influence to them was. The Rastafarians believe that he lives on in their spirits despite the fact that he is dead.

Excerpts from speeches by H.I.M Selassie I,

History of The Ethiopian World Federation Inc.