The Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated, is a not-for-profit membership organization, incorporated in the State of New York, United States of America and registered by the Internal Revenue Services as a 501 (C) 4 (civic- league, social welfare) making the organization, tax exempt.

This organization came into being on August 25, 1937 in New York City, through the efforts of Black Americans who sent a delegation consisting of three prominent Harlem figures, all leaders of the black organization known as the United Aid for Ethiopia. Reverend William Lloyd Imes, Pastor of the prestigious St. James Presbyterian Church, Philip M. Savory of the Victory Insurance Company and co-owner of the New York Amsterdam News, and Mr. Cyril M Philp, secretary of the United Aid, sailed to England in the summer of 1936 to speak with H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I concerning financial matters.

In response, the Emperor empowered his personal physician Dr. Malaku E. Bayen to establish the Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated with the purpose set out in the following preamble: “We the Black People of the World, in order to effect Unity, Solidarity, Liberty, Freedom and self-determination, to secure Justice and maintain the Integrity of Ethiopia, which is our divine heritage, do hereby establish and ordain this constitution for The Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated”.

The Constitution and By-Laws is, as one would expect, a very careful and businesslike document, having articles which deal with aims and objects, membership, international officers and their duties, conventions, elections, meetings, local units, their establishment and organization, committees, impeachment of officers, units, benefits, amendments, order of business, etc.

As a direct result of the support Ethiopia received from black people in the West during the Italian invasion 1935-1941, the Emperor granted five (5) Gashas of land in Shashamanne, Ethiopia, to The E.W.F. Inc., for Ethiopian people in the Diaspora who desired to return to the motherland. In 1970, H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I personally appointed Ras. Marcus Selassie (Solomon Wolfe), Director of The E.W.F. Charter # 43 in Jamaica, administrator of the “Land Grant”. The major goal of The Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated is inherent in the name of the organization. The Ethiopian (meaning all Black people), World (everywhere), Federation (autonomous groups working together), desiring to do all we can to restore the continent of Ethiopia-Africa to her former state of complete independence and self-reliance thereby effecting a social and economic betterment of the race everywhere..