Haile Selassie I
Emperor of Ethiopia
1892–1975 · Ethiopia
Became an international symbol of African sovereignty, anti-fascist resistance, and continental unity.
The Full Profile
Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia, became an international symbol of African sovereignty, anti-fascist resistance, and continental unity. Haile Selassie ruled Ethiopia through major periods of modernization, Italian invasion, restoration, and postwar diplomacy. His 1936 appeal to the League of Nations became an emblem of resistance to fascist aggression. Ethiopia later hosted the creation of the Organization of African Unity, strengthening his association with Pan-African diplomacy. His 1936 speech to the League of Nations — 'It is us today; it will be you tomorrow' — made him a global symbol of resistance to fascism; he later gave the Organization of African Unity its home in Addis Ababa.