Peace Movement of Ethiopia facts for kids
The Peace Movement of Ethiopia was a group for African Americans based in Chicago, Illinois. It was active in the 1930s and 1940s. This organization wanted African Americans to move back to the African continent, especially to Liberia. They were connected with another group called the Black Dragon Society.
History of the Peace Movement
The Peace Movement of Ethiopia started in December 1932 in Chicago, Illinois. Their meetings took place at 4653 South State Street. In the 1930s and 1940s, the group grew to have more than 300,000 members.
The founder and leader of the organization was Mittie Maud Gordon. She had been a member of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League before. She also supported the ideas of Marcus Garvey, who believed in Black self-reliance and unity.
The main goal of the Peace Movement of Ethiopia was to help African Americans move back to Africa. As early as 1933, they asked President Franklin D. Roosevelt for help with this move. They argued that paying for people to move would cost less than the "charity" they received in the United States.
A year later, in 1934, they began working with Earnest Sevier Cox. He was a Methodist preacher and writer who also supported the idea of moving back to Africa. They also worked with Senator Theodore Bilbo.
In 1938, two members, David Logan and Joseph Rockmore, visited Liberia for a month. There, they met Thomas J. Faulkner, a politician from the People's Party. They also contacted Edwin Barclay, who was the President of Liberia at the time. President Barclay said he did not think the United States government would pay for their journey. He also added that people would need to have at least US$1,000 to move to Liberia.
The organization supported Senator Bilbo's Greater Liberia Bill in 1939. This bill aimed to help African Americans move to Liberia. Mittie Gordon, the group's president, even called Senator Bilbo their "Great White Father" because he supported the bill.
After Senator Bilbo passed away in 1947, the Peace Movement of Ethiopia worked with another group. This group was the Universal African National Movement from New York City. They asked Senators Strom Thurmond, John C. Stennis of Mississippi, and Richard Russell, Jr. of Georgia to propose similar bills. However, these senators declined. They said that some people in their states still owned plantations and needed workers. They also felt that a federal bill would go against their belief in states' rights.
Connections to the Black Dragon Society
The FBI believed the Peace Movement of Ethiopia was unknowingly helping the Black Dragon Society. Most of the money for the Peace Movement of Ethiopia came from Japanese officials in New York and San Francisco. By 1938, it was thought that Satokata Takahashi was helping to run the Peace Movement of Ethiopia.
Legal Challenges Faced
In 1942, Mittie Gordon, the leader of the Peace Movement of Ethiopia, faced legal issues. Other religious leaders were also investigated at this time. This investigation happened in October 1942. It also included members from other African-American groups. These groups were the Brotherhood of Liberty for the Black Man of America, the Temple of Islam, and the World Wide Friends of Africa.
Mittie Gordon stated that her group had four million followers. She said they were all taught that they were citizens of Liberia. Because of this, she argued they were not subject to the Selective Service in the United States. This system required people to register for military service.
When the Peace Movement of Ethiopia ended, many of its members joined the Nation of Islam. This was another important African-American organization.
