Taytu Betul: The Light of Ethiopia

Taytu Betul became the Empress of Ethiopia in 1889 and believed in putting the interests of her country above European expansion plans. As a result, she willingly went to war against Italy preserving Ethiopia?s independence, leading her own contingent of soldiers. Empress Taytu prevented Ethiopia from being colonized. The Ethiopian victory over Italy was an important event in the Pan-African movement, inspiring other African countries to fight for independence in the 1900s.

About the Author

Letitia deGraft Okyere was inspired in 2016 to research the Third Republic of Ghana, a forgotten period in the history of the nation. The outcome was the novel, The First Vice President: A Biography J.W.S. de Graft-Johnson, published by MacSwain in 2022. Letitia extended her appreciation of historical personalities and the contributions each made to his (or her) world by writing children?s historical biographies of people of African descent. She published El?ni of Ethiopia: The Wise Empress, King Ghartey IV: Innovative 19th Century Merchant, and Phillis Wheatley: Pioneer African American Poet in 2021 through Lion?s Historian Press. Letitia, a proud alumna of the University of Leeds, U.K., continues to search the annals of life for stirring stories of men and women of the past. Letitia lives with her family in Arkansas, the Natural State of the U.S.A., where she works as a public health administrator in state government.

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