William Henry Sheppard's Ethiopianist Movement

• In Event: The Atlantic as a River: Ethiopianism and the Black Struggle for Freedom

Description for Program

As a follow-up to Andrew Barnes’s discussion of the movement against human rights crimes in colonial Congo, this paper explains how memories of that justice movement promoted Ethiopianism among African Americans. It focuses on the work and reputation of William Henry Sheppard, the Black Presbyterian missionary who accused Belgian rubber companies of committing atrocities in the Congo Free State. The paper provides details of how Sheppard’s achievements motivated pan-Africanism and civil rights activism among Black leaders in his home base of Louisville, Kentucky and other parts of the U.S.

Author

• Kimberly Hill