November 2: The Coronation - Crown, Orb, Scepter & Sword

November 2 marks the anniversary of the Coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie I and Empress Menen Asfaw of Ethiopia. The Emperor and Empress were crowned together amid imperial pageantry in Addis Ababa. On that day, the world witnessed an event that changed the political scope and texture of modern geopolitics.

At a time when nearly all of Africa was under European domination, the coronation symbolized the sovereignty of African people. Dignitaries from more than seventy nations across the globe - including the US, Britain, France, Italy, Japan, Egypt - were present to witness what was, in essence, the declaration of African/Black autonomy as a living reality.

The crowns placed on Emperor Selassie and Empress Menen Asfaw’s heads, and every element of regalia, such as the orb and sceptre in His Majesty’s hands and the sword - was charged with political meaning.

The crown symbolized humility before the power of the Almighty and the burden of selfless service to the people. When the Emperor bowed his head to receive it, he reminded the world that true kingship is not domination, but devotion - the leader as the first among the people, was accountable to the Most High and nation.

The sceptre represented righteous authority. It was the rod of justice - wielded with firmness and kindness. For Haile Selassie, whose very name means “Power of the Trinity,” the sceptre affirmed his commitment to govern by guarding the people’s integrity.

The orb expressed harmony between the physical and spiritual realms - the principle that all human rule is subordinate to the Creator’s order. In Haile Selassie’s hands, it became a message to the world that Ethiopia’s sovereignty was not granted by others, but ordained through its ancient covenantal lineage and the primacy of divine justice.

The sword proclaimed to the world that Ethiopia would protect its sovereignty with spiritual conviction and military resolve. This tenet would be tested just five years later, when the Emperor led his nation to victory against the Italian invasion of 1935, turning the symbolic sword into a literal defense of liberty.

The sword of Haile Selassie became a sign of African liberation and self-determination - a reminder that liberation demands not only faith and unity, but also the courage to defend what is just. Haile Selassie would later remind the world that Africans would fight “until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is discredited and abandoned.”

The coronation is an abiding reminder of our collective duty - the enduring work of service, liberation, and unity - a call whose relevance continues to resonate across the African world.