Three women for Ethiopia
Sylvia Pankhurst
Sylvia Pankhurst was daughter of the famous suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst. Sylvia inherited the suffragette cause. But unlike her mother, however, she was also a socialist and an anti-fascist. By 1936 Sylvia had become perhaps the most ardent English supporter of the Ethiopian cause. She began publication of New Times and Ethiopia News on 5th May 1936. The paper ran for 20 years.
Sylvia held irregular meetings with Haile Selassie I during his time in Britain and interviewed both him and Empress Menen. In September 1938 Dr Melaku Bayen, founder of the Ethiopian World Federation, wrote to Sylvia encouraging her to "not be discouraged in your struggle" and that "the god of justice and the god of Ethiopia will continue to give you strength and wisdom."
Sylvia's newspaper travelled far and wide, across Europe, the Americas and Africa.
Sylvia held irregular meetings with Haile Selassie I during his time in Britain and interviewed both him and Empress Menen. In September 1938 Dr Melaku Bayen, founder of the Ethiopian World Federation, wrote to Sylvia encouraging her to "not be discouraged in your struggle" and that "the god of justice and the god of Ethiopia will continue to give you strength and wisdom."
Sylvia's newspaper travelled far and wide, across Europe, the Americas and Africa.
Sylvia's aggitations on behalf of Ethiopia earned her the attention of the Metropolitan Police and the disdain of the British civil service. Consider this report on Sylvia, and the casually racist phrase ""plus fuzzy-wuzzy que les fuzzies-wuzzies" (more fuzzy-wuzzy than the fuzzy-wuzzies):
Sylvia's services to Ethiopia were acknowledged by Haile Selassie I who awarded her the Third Class of the Order of Sheba and the Patriots Medal.
Late in her life Sylvia moved to Addis Ababa, where her son Richard began teaching at the University.
Sylvia passed away in 1960. Although not religious herself, Sylvia was laid to rest in the patriots area at the front of the Holy Trinity church with the name Wallata Kristos - daughter of Christ.
Watch Richard Pankhurst, Sylvia's son, and his wife, Rita Pankhurst reminisce on their life in Ethiopia: