How UNESCO Made Ethiopia ‘Different’ from Africa!

Ethiopia is often celebrated as Africa’s great empire—an ancient, unconquered nation with a rich history admired by many in the diaspora. But what if I told you Ethiopia’s global image wasn’t shaped solely by history? What most people don’t realize is that Western institutions—especially UNESCO—played a massive role in crafting Ethiopia’s identity, reinforcing a sense of exceptionalism and cultural superiority over other African nations.

UNESCO’s Eurocentric approach framed Ethiopia’s heritage in a way that aligned with Western ideals of civilization—highlighting its Christian and Semitic connections while downplaying its African roots. By portraying Ethiopia as an ancient empire with Middle Eastern ties, UNESCO helped alienate Ethiopia from the rest of Africa, creating a distorted perception of its identity. This framework was eagerly embraced by Ethiopia’s imperial elites, who used it to assert dominance both internally over marginalized ethnic groups and externally as a supposed “bridge” between Africa and Europe.

In this episode, we’ll uncover:
🔹 How UNESCO reinforced Ethiopian exceptionalism and contributed to Ethiopia’s perceived separateness from Africa.
🔹 How Haile Selassie strategically used Ethiopia’s heritage to consolidate power and position Ethiopia as the political capital of Africa.
🔹 How this narrative still influences Ethiopian identity today, with many Ethiopians rejecting the label “Black” or “African” in favor of “Habesha.”

Many Black people, both in Africa and the diaspora, admire Ethiopia without realizing that the international image of Ethiopia was also a product of Western institutions like UNESCO. This is the untold story of how heritage became a political tool—one that elevated Ethiopia but also alienated it from the African unity it once championed.

💬 What do you think? Should organizations like UNESCO still define African heritage? And how can we decolonize heritage to create a more inclusive African identity? Let me know in the comments!