User:Alforabi

T. Ras Makonnen Pan African,  sadly forgotten Key figure in the Pan- African movement. ''' T. Ras Makonnen was originally for Guyana, before moving to the United States. His was educated first in Guyana, then at Cornell in New York. He worked as an organizer of the   Y.M.C.A. in Texas, where he was exposed to a large African American organizational network. Ras Makonnen from his inception had definite Ideas about the position of Diaporic Africans a formulation during his childhood in Guyana. By the time he had arrived at Cornell the was quite a substantial movement lead by Marcus Aurelius Garvey and Amy Jaques Garvey, his wife and co founder of the United Improvement Association for the Negro.There was also the N.A.A.C.P foundered by the twentieth century dyoin of African American letters William Burghart Du Bios. Makonnen a widely read and sought the inspiration of the congregation of Harlem the African Mecca, would travel from Ithaca New York, where he was familiar with other intellectual from both sides of the fence. It is here that he was able to expand his previous Ideas of Ethiopianism, as manifested in the conventional new strains of the very old concept of the Imagined Home,Messianic Zion called Ethiopia, by the  scattered Africans  in the new world. The new strains were the ones advocated on the return home to stand form as a large and powerful tool for self determination and moral redress, from a a white dominated world based on a racialized hierarchy. Marcus Garvey, while in Jamaica begged the question where are our bankers, statesmen and men of big Affairs" after posing this question to himself he set about creating this figures for his vision of mighty  African nation. He was heavily influenced by Elmot Willem Blyden, a leading advocate for the colonization of the Africa, (although reforming these ideas of exceptionalism before his death), together with the many others such as M. Delany, Crummel etc.Ras Makonnan, moved to Denmark briefly, settling finally in England, where together with the others proponents of Pan - Africanist movement: such as George Padmore, C.L.R. James, Dr Miller, Jomo Kenyatta, African students in England(WASU), latter Kwame Nkuruma (Oseguefo)were all involved with the shaping and dissemination of a free and Independent African continent. Ras Makkonnen, although now an obscure figure had the single minded goal like Byden or Garvey to secure self determination for Africans through and endless campiange of organized political agitation in the home of the colonizer. In part his obscurity lay in his powerful gifts as an orator, unlike George Padmore or C.l.R James who were already establish political writers for both the labor movement in England, and the communist party both England and the United States. Ras T Makkonen, however, was more involved in the day to day, desimination of information through regular appearances at any political occasion that may present itself, he was also a frequent orator at Hyde Park, along with Jomo Kenyatta a charismatic representative of the Kikuyu central association, and student at the London, the was also another figure who got the crowd going before Ras Makkonen Speeches.Ras Makkon moved operations to Manchester, after attending the university there and later teaching. It is at Manchester where the fifth pan African congress was to be held, with the father of the Movement W.E.B. Dubios would later attend as guest of Honor, where the movement florished the most.Ras Makonnen's created bussiness's specifically hotels, starting with one that multiplied to manyas an adjunct to his more important political ideals. He managed through his later chain of hotels, to engage lawyers for Africans domiciled in London with judicial problem as a group.( he once posted 60.000 bond on behalf of Somali restaurateurs in Cardiff, who's restaurants where been shut down by the authorities at the instigation of Middle-Easterners. Ras Makkonen restaurants, become a crucial meeting venue, watering hole, and lodge for the many frequent visitors from both Africa and the New world.Ras Makonnen, after establishing these resturants, he created a printing press,specifically as a decimination tool for the Pan African movement. He encouraged and publish both George Padmore, and C.L.R. James amongst others. He also began in earnest to organize the fifth Pan African congress in manchester which brought march larger contingent from Africa, then any previous congresses. More importantly Ras Makkonnen welded a lot of respect for his altruism on behalf or the Pan African movement, there were many intra African dispute he had the fortitude to preside over, ameliorating differences. Ras Makkonen portrayed an abiding single minded will during many situations, particularly any internal dispute that contravened the unity of Africa. This strong will coupled with pragmatic organization prowess, made the goal of African independence and Unity the most important agenda for the collective. He was a frequent prod to many other activists, including G. Padmore, and CLR James.Another immeasurable quality Ras Makkonen possessed was an uncanny ability to read British political establishment one of the largest colonizers of the African continent and people.He also proceed to Ghana and then Kenya, where is close friends and political comrades in arms were now heading independent African countries. This was a dream that had come true in part because the Manchester efforts, and there sympathizers the labor party at sweeping into the helm of British Affairs. Pan Africanism at work, Ras Makkonen moved to Ghana to continue his work post the in past independence Ghana. Again his organizational skill and singleminded zeal towards the success of the fledgling State of Ghana, in particlar its position as a forerunner to the rest of African nations under colonial domination, Ras Makkonon and Padmore redoubled their efforts, to help Ghana assuage the pro domination naysayers in Europe.He was frustrated by the political outlook and intenecine divisions between the former organizers and leaders of the Pan African movement mostly from the New world, and the local Ghanians josling for political power around the Osetgeyefo's table. The were under the impression that the earlier group weilded to much power in the affiars of Ghana, their rightful position.