Battle of Adwa and Ethiopian Unity

 Ethiopia Insight published on 6 May 2025 a commentary titled "Adwa Is Not the Only Oppressive Ethiopian Myth" by Tarfassa W. Barooddee, a self-employed Oromo living in North America.

The conventional narrative describes the 1896 Battle of Adwa as a decisive triumph of a united African nation resisting European imperialism.  But the author argues that "this romanticized myth" obscures a harsher truth: victory at Adwa did not spare the subject peoples of the south from oppression and violence.  The author concludes that Ethiopian unity cannot be forged by manipulating history.  

Ethiopia and the "Black Panther" Movie

The Washington Post published on 27 February 2018 an article titled "Africa's Real Wakanda and the Struggle to Stay Uncolonized" by Paul Schemm.

The Marvel comics movie "Black Panther" has wowed audiences across the United States and around the world. The author discusses how Ethiopian history may have inspired the mythical African kingdom of Wakanda portrayed in the movie.

Ethiopia: Teddy Afro's "Tikur Sew"

The Africa Collective published on 8 June 2014 commentary titled "Teddy Afro's 'Tikur Sew'--Ethnic Politics and Historical Narrative" by Rachael Hill, a PhD candidate at Stanford University.  It is an analysis of Ethiopian singer Teddy Afro's 2012 album Tikur Sew (Black Man).  The title track is a tribute to late 19th and early 20th century Emperor Menilik II and the Ethiopian victory over the Italians at Adwa.

Menelik II, Battle of Adwa, and Teddy Afro

I normally devote this blog to weighty academic issues. Thanks to Pambazuka News, I ran across a fascinating music video titled Tikur Sew by the well known Ethiopian musician Teddy Afro. Tikur Sew is a tribute to Emperor Menelik II and the 1986 Battle of Adwa where Ethiopia defeated Italian forces. It captures the mood in Ethiopia in 1896. The outstanding music and solid video presentation are worth watching. It runs for 10 minutes and contains some violence.

The video concludes that "there is no future without the past."

Click here to read the background piece by Pambazuka News and then click to watch the video.