Ethiopians all over the country and abroad will be celebrating the Battle of Adwa victory during the month of March. It has been 128 years since the Battle of Adwa was fought and it was a major victory for Ethiopia.
King Menelik, Empress Taytu, and ordinary people gave up their lives to preserve our unique Culture. This victory led to Ethiopia being one of only two countries to have never been colonized.
The Battle of Adwa was a very influential win for us Ethiopians. We showed the world that an African country can stand together and defeat a European colony that was attempting to colonize us. The victory of Adwa was not just a victory for Ethiopians … It was a victory for all of Africa.
We celebrate the victory of Adwa every year but how many of us are teaching our kids the story of Adwa? The next generation needs to know the story and the sacrifice of those who fought. Knowing about Adwa will give our kids a sense of pride and serve as a model of what can be accomplished when Ethiopians work together.
I first spoke to my son Isaiah about Adwa when he was in the 7th grade. During that time, he had a school project to complete on the subject of Conflict and Resolution. To my surprise, he chose the topic of the Battle of Adwa. As he researched for this project, obviously he learned a lot about Adwa. Safe to say, he learned more than even I knew. I was proud of that as a parent but my true hope is that he will one day teach his children.
His project made it all the way to 2nd Place Regionals, and in 2019 he was invited to present his Adwa Project at the ECCA Adwa Celebration here in Atlanta. We have a video of his presentation and I invite you and your family to watch it . Video provided by Saefu Adanech Bishaw
Finally, as we celebrate Adwa this year, we have the responsibility to teach the next generation and to remember the people who made the ultimate sacrifice. We must remember them, and we must honor them.
