T. Ras Makonnen

**T. Ras Makonnen** (ein born name be **George Thomas N. Griffiths**; around 7 October 1909 – 18 December 1983) be one Pan-African activist wey come from Guyana but ein roots dey Ethiopia. 

## Early life den family
Makonnen wey ein born name be George Thomas N. Griffiths, na for Buxton insyd British Guiana wey dem born am. Dem dey talk say ein poppie ein poppie (ein paternal grandfather) born for Tigre, Ethiopia, but one Scottish miner carry am go British Guiana. Makonnen finish ein secondary school for Guyana before e lef in 1927 go study mineralogy for America. During de Second Italo-Abyssinian War for 1935, Makonnen change ein name make e show say ein roots dey Africa. Ein kiddies dem be T'Shai R. Makonnen, Desta Makonnen, Lorenzo Makonnen den Sheba Makonnen.

## Life insyd de United States
Insyd 1927, Makonnen go Beaumont, Texas, wey ein plan be say make e study mineralogy. But not long after e reach Texas, e start dey join activities for YMCA, den through dat, e grow ein support for African matters den e start get name as one speaker wey get talent. De small small way e first start dey work plus YMCA turn full-time job, wey e use establish plenty services for de Black people for de town – including help for businessmen, plus e even form one brass band for de 60,000 Black workers wey dey work for Magnolia Petroleum Company. Dis ein work make e start get invites to speak across de US den attend YMCA international conferences. For one of dem conferences, Griffith meet Max Yergan, wey before be YMCA “missionary” for South Africa; dem dey believe say na dis meeting first open Griffith ein mind to Africa.

Insyd 1932, Makonnen go north go Cornell University, wey e take small time study agriculture plus work for de university ein library. Plenty Ethiopians dey insyd de student body for Cornell, den Makonnen dey discuss de wahala wey dey come for Ethiopia plus dem. Na around dis time wey de man change ein name from Griffith to Makonnen. Wen e dey go holiday, e dey go Harlem insyd New York City, wey e join de protest against de high rent. For dis same period, Makonnen make friends plus West Indians den Africans like Nnamdi Azikiwe (wey later turn Nigeria ein president). Dem come form one group wey dem call de Libyan Institute, wey dem dey read academic papers about Africa. Makonnen too dey listen to Black socialists den communists like George Padmore for street corners den other public meetings, but e no ever join any political party; as e talk, "I borrowed a lot from them" but no be party man. E put ein energy too for Brookwood Labor College, wey e help work on "one small American history book plus one dictionary of words wey important to workers’ movement."

If we go by Makonnen ein memoirs, then e read plenty things. One example be say he plus Jomo Kenyatta go visit one Jamaican-born man, Theophilus Scholes, make dem thank am for de inspiration wey dem get from reading ein books. Scholes ein books be critical studies on African history plus de diaspora. Makonnen join deep for de heavy arguments wey dey go on during dat time about de different views of W. E. B. Du Bois plus Marcus Garvey. Na dis same period wey e start ein collaboration plus George Padmore (wey ein original name be Malcolm Nurse), wey be nephew of Henry Sylvester Williams. Insyd Cornell too, Makonnen still dey push strong for Black people demma cause. He learn under people like de economist Scott Nearing plus de anthropologist Franz Boas. E small time association plus de radical American left make ein friends like Nnamdi Azikiwe plus Ugandan Ernest Kalibala dey tease am small, but dem all dey America around dat same time. Plenty people from Makonnen ein generation get demma early political eye-opening from dem left-wing associations.

## Life insyd Europe

### Denmark
Insyd 1935 inside, Makonnen move go Europe. E be during one short visit wey he make for London on ein way go Denmark, wey he meet plus stand on top one platform talk side by side C. L. R. James plus Jomo Kenyatta for one meeting wey dem hold for Trafalgar Square about de Ethiopia crisis. Dis meeting na de International African Friends of Ethiopia (IAFE) organize am. Na around dis same time wey Mussolini ein plans towards Ethiopia start show clearly, wey de young Griffiths take change ein name to Makonnen. He be part of one delegation wey include Jomo Kenyatta plus ITA Wallace Johnson; dem go welcome Haile Selassie for de City of Bath. Makonnen plus people like Makonnen Desta, Peter Mbiyu Koinange, Workineh Martin plus some others work hard make dem make people know about de Ethiopia matter. Makonnen go Royal Agricultural College for Copenhagen, Denmark. But after around 18 months, Denmark deport am because he talk say de mustard wey Denmark dey sell give Italy dey use make mustard gas wey Italy dey use invade Ethiopia.

### United Kingdom
For insyd de boat, Makonnen meet Paul Robeson, wey den times lef America plus dey make name for einsef for Unity Theater insyd London. After dat, Makonnen settle for London for 1937. He come turn active member for de International African Service Bureau (IASB) wey George Padmore be de leader. As historian Carol Polsgrove write about Makonnen ein role insyd de Bureau, she talk say Makonnen be like de group ein business manager, wey dey sell demma journal, *Pan Africa*, for political meetings plus handle all de bills. 

Insyd London, Makonnen be founding member for de first time wey dem try form Pan-African Federation for middle of 1936, wey bring people from North, South, East, and West Africa plus Caribbean join together. E no be surprise say Makonnen join de International African Friends of Abyssinia (IAFA) too, wey C. L. R. James be de chairman, plus Jomo Kenyatta be one of de top members. After Italy take over Abyssinia, IAFA change ein name to International African Service Bureau (IASB), wey Padmore be chairman, and Makonnen take position as "executive and publicity secretary". Na Makonnen write de constitution for dem.

IASB stand for “progress plus social upliftment of Africans wey dey home plus abroad; full economic, political and racial equality; plus for demma own right to choose how dem wan govern demsef.” De Bureau ein aim be say make e “co-ordinate plus centralize” all Black organisations across de world den link dem “for stronger brotherhood relationship” plus “sympathetic” White organisations too. IASB membership be strictly for Black people, but White people fit join as associate members. De IASB ein office, wey Makonnen dey manage plus e use ein own efforts fund am, turn “regular mecca for all revolutionaries from all de colonies plus meeting ground for Left-wing people”; e too be place wey colonials fit take lodge. “[Makonnen] do huge work,” na so C. L. R. James write: “he dey cook plus clean de place by ein own hand … [And] he no be small agitator too.”

IASB dey connect plus colonial organisations like de Gold Coast Aborigines Rights Protection Society, wey come ask for demma support inside 1935 for demma petition against de monopoly wey dey control cocoa exports. Dem organise different protest meetings for Trafalgar Square den send speakers like Makonnen go far places like Belfast plus Scotland. Every Sunday for Speakers’ Corner inside Hyde Park, Makonnen plus other IASB speakers dey draw plenty crowd by first letting Prince Monolulu – one early supporter of IASB – speak. Monolulu, wey dey make money sometimes as race-course tipster, get “some Rasputin-kind voice [wey] dey mix fine vulgarity plus high-level entertainment.” Nkrumah describe Makonnen as “gifted speaker.” For dem places plus left-wing den other meetings, Makonnen dey always push de IASB ein newspaper make people buy.

After World War II start, Makonnen move go Manchester, wey he study history for Manchester University. As entrepreneur, he open four restaurants plus one exclusive nightclub, wey all do very well, especially when American soldiers – mostly African Americans – come de area during de war. He too open one bookshop wey serve Manchester University students, plus later come own plenty houses wey he rent give Black people. De money he get from all these businesses he take support ein political work. De most important one be de Fifth Pan-African Congress plus de Pan Africa publication wey follow. E be during dis time he grow ein brotherhood plus Kwame Nkrumah, Peter Abrahams, N. A. Fadipe plus Du Bois.

During dis time, Makonnen still active inside de IASB, den together plus George Padmore and Kwame Nkrumah, dem help organise de Fifth Pan-African Congress wey happen inside 1945. E still host people from Africa wey come visit, den he open one bookstore plus mail-order book service. Insyd 1947, he start one new publication, *Pan-Africa*, wey he hope say e go “show how African people dey live dema daily life plus de tings dem dey do.” He distribute am go across Africa and de Americas, but e hard collect money, and for some places, bookstores plus subscribers fear make dem no hold something wey, under colonial rule, dey criticise how de European powers dey govern. De publication stop di next year after e start. For de years after de war, Makonnen work together plus members of de Somali Youth League for Britain to try settle peace between Somali and Ethiopia. Makonnen be one of de last people wey see Jomo Kenyatta before Kenyatta lef Britain go back Kenya. Makonnen ein political connections plus activities still stretch reach de Sudanese Umma Party, especially plus people like Abdalla Khalil Bey den Mohammed Majoub.

Insyd July 1937, de Bureau start publish one duplicated paper, *Africa and the World*, den de issue wey dem release for 14 August 1937 (wey be de last one wey we know), talk say Makonnen be one of de speakers wey talk for Trafalgar Square top de situation wey dey happen for de West Indies, where plenty people dey fight for civil rights plus trade union rights. E still speak to peace groups, socialist labour platforms, den de Left Book Club. By 1938, e be like say dem fit raise enough money, so dem start publish one printed monthly paper wey dem call *International African Opinion (IAO)*, plus some pamphlets too wey dem sell inside Britain den secretly send go West Indies, East Africa, and West Africa give dema colleagues. Insyd de February–March 1939 issue of *IAO*, Makonnen write one article wey dem call "A Plea for Negro Self-Government", wey break down de economic systems everywhere den advise say, "African peoples of de West for aim politically and act to make sure say dem get full control over demma own economic, social den political destiny." Soon after, East Africa ban *IAO*.

De life of IAO short pass ein predecessor: de last issue come out for February–March 1939. But IASB no stop to dey publish: de treasurer get enough money to continue dey publish pamphlets wey Kenyatta and Eric Williams be some of de writers. Makonnen serve as advisory editor.

Makonnen push ein interest for de cooperative movement by go study for de Co-operative College for 1939–40 plus dey give lecture on de movement to local organisations. For some time too, he be student for Manchester University wey he take British history course. He later join de local Labour Party actively den dem even invite am go talk for de prestigious County Forum. Around dis same time, he form de African Co-operative League together plus Laminah Sankoh from Sierra Leone, as he wan link am "plus our traditional African form of co-operation", so e go fit replace de capitalist economy wey Africans dey use that time.

De Pan-African Federation (PAF) get re-form for Manchester insyd 1944 under de presidency of Dr Peter Milliard, wey be one politically active doctor wey come from British Guiana; Makonnen be de secretary. PAF organise one Pan-African Congress wey dem hold for Manchester insyd July 1945, wey delegates den representatives from de Black world come. De main political organiser for de Congress be George Padmore, den ein assistant be Francis (Kwame) Nkrumah wey just arrive. Make e link to de earlier Congresses, dem invite W.E.B. DuBois—wey organise four of dem before—to chair de Manchester Congress. “One important thing wey come out from de Congress,” Makonnen believe, be say “de struggle no dey Europe again for most of we. De old idea say you fit fight for liberation more from outside Africa dey get drop.” (Pan-Africanism from Within, p. 168) Nkrumah den Kenyatta both soon return go Africa. For de Congress top, Makonnen talk about Ethiopia, as ein support Ethiopia ein territorial claim on de Tigray region.

Mid-1946, Makonnen start advertise de “Panaf Service” as “importers and exporters, publishers, booksellers, printers, den manufacturers’ representatives”, all from ein place for 58 Oxford Road, Manchester, wey be PAF ein headquarters too. De profits from dem new ventures take support PAF, wey still dey connect plus old contacts den build new ones with political groups den activists for Africa den de Caribbean. Dem publicise demma issues and help dem send delegations come Britain when dem fit. PAF try break down “clannish” den tribal divisions both for Europe den Africa, wey Makonnen see say be “obstacles to pan-Africanism” (ibid., p. 190). Dem organise plenty political meetings too—like support de 1945 strike for Nigeria and celebrate 100 years of Liberia ein independence. PAF come form one Asiatic-African United Front Committee to promote cooperation among all “subject peoples” den also try form one Pan-African Committee for Paris.

De PAF ein Secretary, after dem hold meeting on top de matter den consult different people (like Kobina Sekyi from Aborigines' Rights Protection Society for Gold Coast, wey Makonnen plus PAF get long relationship plus am), send one memorandum go United Nations about how dem appoint Barbadian Grantley Adams go de Trusteeship Council. Makonnen ask UN question about de appointment, say de Ghanaian people no get any consultation on top de matter; plus Adams too no ask dem how ein for represent dem or which stance ein for take on matters wey dey concern dem.

PAF too enter de racial tension wey dey grow for UK. Example be say dem—or Makonnen—stand bail for Black seamen wey dem accuse for mutiny for Plymouth. As PAF no get confidence for white barristers, for 1946 dem raise money bring one top Jamaican lawyer, Norman Manley, come Britain make ein defend one Jamaican airman wey dem accuse of murder; de man later win ein case. For 1948, PAF call on government make dem investigate de race riots wey happen for Liverpool. Makonnen write letters give de city ein mayor den even get interview plus de chief constable. As always, Makonnen take de profit from ein business support ein fellow Black people—ein dash £5,000 to help establish one home for abandoned pikin dem wey Black servicemen born plus White women wey no wan keep de mixed-race children.

Makonnen still keep ein connection plus Ethiopia wey start since de fight against de 1935 invasion. Ein help organise Emperor Menelik ein entourage wey dey exile. After de war, ein raise money for Princess Tsehai Memorial Hospital. For 1946, Makonnen support de pro-Ethiopia campaign dem wey Sylvia Pankhurst organise, like de one wey dey call make dem bring Eritrea den Somalia back under Ethiopia. For one meeting wey happen on 19 June, ein talk say de African people demma problems dey come from Europe ein master-race mindset.

Insyd 1947, Makonnen start to publish *Pan-Africa*, one "monthly journal of African life, history and thought". Ein be de publisher den managing editor; de editor be Dinah Stock; Padmore, Kenyatta den Nkrumah all be associate den contributing editors. De journal search plus attract articles den readers from de colonised world plus USA. By October 1947, de Belgian Government ban de journal from de "Belgian" Congo; within few months again, East African colonial governments too ban am, call am seditious. Dis ban spoil de journal ein readership, so e collapse early 1948. Even though copies no remain, e dey clear say de journal publish press releases (wey reach places like Gold Coast) den de petition to United Nations, *Statement on de Denial of Human Rights to Minorities in de Case of Citizens of Negro Descent in de USA*. De journal, wey Makonnen fund, base for 58 Oxford Road.

Makonnen talk say ein no get any ties to Guyana, plus say "all my travelling … was to get knowledge to prepare me for working in de West Indies or Africa."

## Life insyd Africa
Insyd 1957, Makonnen lef go Ghana. Even though ein criticize Nkrumah well-well for 1948, sake of how Nkrumah dey walk plus communist people for London, dis move fit mean say ein mind change or say Padmore ein presence for Ghana make am hope say things go better. Makonnen join Nkrumah den Padmore for there den help establish de Organization of African Unity. When ein first reach Ghana, ein work plus Padmore as Adviser on African Affairs, den later move go de new African Affairs Center as Director. Na for dis position wey ein meet people like Jomo, Lumumba, Kaunda, Roberto, Banda den other African leaders.

After de coup wey happen for Ghana for 1966, dem arrest Makonnen put am for prison. E no be long, Kenyatta—ein old IASB colleague for Britain—come help secure ein release. After dat, Makonnen go work for Kenya ein Ministry of Tourism den for 1969, ein turn Kenyan citizen. For Kenya, Makonnen dey support den advise de South African community wey exile go there den ein make friends plus people like Raboroko, one of de PAC founding members, den some ANC members. Kenneth King, one professor for University of Nairobi, do interview plus Makonnen over nine months then use dem organize one book wey talk about Makonnen ein political life, *Pan-Africanism from Within* (1973).

## Final years den legacy
Insyd ein last years, Makonnen start bore more more about how independence results turn out, especially how African unity still no dey happen. Plenty times, ein feel say too much love for material things, show show life, den plenty formality take over wetin independent Africa suppose focus on. Makonnen die for Nairobi for 1983.

## Bibliography

* Polsgrove, Carol. *Ending British Rule in Africa: Writers in a Common Cause*. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2009.
* Adi, Hakim, and Marika Sherwood. *Pan-African History: Political Figures from Africa and the Diaspora since 1787*. Routledge, 2003.

## References