Ethiopians & Rastafari

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Esther Firke-Sellassie Antohin, bornin Addis Ababa on April 30, 1960(Ethiopian Calendar 1953).She was the fourth of six childrenborn to HIH Princess Edjigaheu Asfa- Wossen and Dejazmach Fikre-Sellassie Hapte-Mariam. Her MotherPrincess Edjigaheu was the eldestdaughter of Crown Prince Asfa-Wossen later known as AmahaSellassie, born to him by his firstwife Princess Wolte-Israel Seum.In 1971 at the age of 11 Esther, alongwith her two elder sisters andBrother went to the United Kingdomto attend Boarding school. Theycontinued their education atClarendon School in Abergale NorthWales until June 1974. They went

home to Ethiopia for the summer holidays, but were unable toleave; due to the Marxist revolution that had exploded thatsummer, All the members of the Royal family were black listed,and were prevented from leaving Ethiopia. Having survived theterrible events of both her parents detentions as politicalprisoners, and later having witnessed her mother's cruel anduntimely death Esther, left Ethiopia in 1977 during the RedTerror that had gripped her country.The following year Esther entered Emma Willard preparatoryschool in up-state New York where she completed her highschool diploma in June 1980. In the fall she went on to New YorkUniversity and received her BA in Russian history and language.During her senior year there, she met and fell in love with herhusband to be Anatoly Antohin. They were married in theRussian Orthodox Church in Old Jerusalem, Israel on March 2,1984.In 1989 Esther, her husband and two children began to live inFairbanks Alaska where they continue to reside till the present.The book 'Ethiopians & Rastafari is based on studies conductedfor a Master's thesis. * Photo by Cal White, Fairbanks, AK, 1997, Black History Month.

 Ethiopians& Rastafari

Esther Sellassie Antohin