Julianna Tesfu, Author at

Independent Historian

Julianna Tesfu was born in San Diego, California and became a resident of Washington State at age eight. She is currently a freshman at the University of Washington and is planning on majoring in social welfare with a minor in African American studies. Julianna hopes to get a master’s degree in social welfare and work with refugee-torn families. Her inspiration comes from her parents who themselves were refugees who fled from Ethiopia and requested political asylum in the United States. Julianna is interested in expanding her cultural knowledge and looks forward to one day being able to spread that knowledge to others.

Beta Israel

The Beta Israel, meaning House of Israel, are a sect of Ethiopians who practice Judaism. They have also long been referred to as the Falasha, an Amharic word for exile, which has fallen out of favor because of its derogatory connotation. Located in the Northern region … Read MoreBeta Israel

Songhai Empire (ca. 1375-1591)

The Songhai Empire was the largest and last of the three major pre-colonial empires to emerge in West Africa. From its capital at Gao on the Niger River, Songhai expanded in all directions until it stretched from the Atlantic Ocean (modern Senegal and Gambia) to … Read MoreSonghai Empire (ca. 1375-1591)

Mali Empire (ca. 1200-1545 )

The Mali Empire was the second of three West African empires to emerge in the vast savanna grasslands located between the Sahara Desert to the north and the coastal rain forest in the south. Beginning as a series of small successor trading states, Ancient Ghana, … Read MoreMali Empire (ca. 1200-1545 )

Timbuktu (ca. 1100- )

Located at the southern edge of the Sahara Desert and six miles north of the Niger River in the present-day nation of Mali, Timbuktu has been a centuries-old, significant city in West Africa. In the 14th Century it became the commercial, religious and cultural center … Read MoreTimbuktu (ca. 1100- )

Ghana (ca. 750-1076)

Located in the Western region of Africa, Ancient Ghana occupied an area that includes the present-day nations of Mauritania and Mali, was the first of three powerful centralized states to emerge in the savanna, a vast, flat grassland area between the Sahara Desert on the … Read MoreGhana (ca. 750-1076)

Shaka Zulu (1787-1828)

Shaka Zulu established the Zulu Empire and revolutionized warfare in Southern Africa in the early 19th Century. Shaka was born in 1787. His father, Senzangakhona, was a minor chief of one of the Zulu-speaking clans and his mother, Nandi, was daughter of Chief Mbhengi of … Read MoreShaka Zulu (1787-1828)

Axum (ca. 100 B.C.E.-ca. 650 A.D.)

Located in the northeast region of contemporary Ethiopia, the city of Axum sits on a high plateau next to the Red Sea. With the city’s ascendance centuries before the birth of Christ and its position next to the Red Sea, Axum became a major center … Read MoreAxum (ca. 100 B.C.E.-ca. 650 A.D.)

Empress Zewditu (1876-1930)

Empress Zewditu of Ethiopia was born on April 29, 1876 as Askala Maryam in the city of Harrar in Enjersa Goro Province, Ethiopia. Her mother was Abechi, a Shewan noblewoman and her father was Menelik II, at that point the king of Shewa and the … Read MoreEmpress Zewditu (1876-1930)

Mansa Musa (1280-1337)

Mansa Musa, fourteenth century emperor of the Mali Empire, is the medieval African ruler most known to the world outside Africa. His elaborate pilgrimage to the Muslim holy city of Mecca in 1324 introduced him to rulers in the Middle East and in Europe. His … Read MoreMansa Musa (1280-1337)

Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia (1892-1975)

Emperor Haile Selassie was born on July 23, 1892 as Tafari Makonnen just outside the city of Harrar in Enjersa Goro Province, Ethiopia. His mother was Yeshimbet Ali Abajiffar and his father was Ras (Duke) Makonnen Wolde Michael, Governor of Harrar, relative of Emperor Menelik … Read MoreHaile Selassie I of Ethiopia (1892-1975)