For the Love of Ethiopia
By the late Robert M. Ellison, Sr. (September 22, 1942 – May 24, 2010)
For months after delivering Michael, his mother Diane, experienced crippling migraines that made tending to her newborn son quite challenging. An Ethiopian, aptly named Ethiopia, living with the Ellisons as what would best be described as a nanny, filled the void beautifully. During those formidable days, Ethiopia not only helped care for Michael, she fed him the national food, styled 
his hair in the fashion of young Ethiopian children, and carried him on her back as mothers commonly do in the country.For clarity, the Ellisons were not exceptionally wealthy. The Ethiopian government provided foreign nationals with lodging and domestic workers. The family left when Michael was a walking toddler. The departure was emotionally wrenching. The woman who cared for Mike, his second mother, had become an integral part of the family. Hearts were broken and tears flowed freely.
As the years passed, Mike heard his mother lovingly, proudly, tell all that he was her African baby – her Ethiopian baby more specifically. She also spoke glowingly about Ethiopia and how much his second mother loved him. However, news reports about the country were disconcerting during the ruthless “Red Terror” era of the Derg Regime that overthrew Emperor Haile Selassie; jailings, killings, beatings and thousands of Ethiopians fleeing the country. After many unreturned letters, the Ellisons did not know what, if anything, had become of the family member they nicknamed Tobia. Though only a young child, Mike promised his mother that he would one day return to Africa and find Ethiopia.
Fast forward to MIKE-E the man, the entertainer, infinitely proud of his African heritage, determined to return to the land of his birth and against incalculable odds, honor the promise he made to his mother, Diane. In 2004, MIKE-E journeyed to Ethiopia with a Detroit-based charity working to improve healthcare in Ethiopia. MIKE-E had three objectives:
| 1. Re-discover his birthplace and learn to make a positive contribution; 2. Perform in Addis Ababa; and 3. Find Ethiopia, his second mother. |
MIKE-E knew that while many applauded his intention to find her, few believed that he would. After all, Addis Ababa’s population had soared since he was last there to over three million people at the time. Despite the surge in population, and the internal turmoil years earlier that had taken many lives and disrupted many families, Mike was not deterred.
Following a performance at the Ghion Hotel, Mike was asked to do an interview on Ethiopian Televison. During the ETV interview with host Jemal Ahmed, Mike held up an old photograph of Ethiopia and appealed to viewers to help him find her. The response was overwhelming. Scores of people called Ethiopia saying “Your son is on TV looking for you!” She eventually saw a re-airing of the program and called Jemal, along with countless other women who falsely claimed to be her. Jemal unselfishly sifted through everybody, using information Mike had given him that only Ethiopia would know, and ultimately identified the right person. Several months after leaving the country, Mike received an email from Jemal one late evening that read: “I think this will be good news. We found Tobia.”While MIKE-E was back in Detroit, his song and video “Ethiopia (Everything Will Be Alright)” had become an enormous nationwide hit and unofficial anthem. Upon his next trip to Ethiopia he was approached by dozens of people at the airport saying “Micky [an affectionate nickname], we love your song. Did you find your mom yet?” As Mike emerged through customs, there waiting was the woman who once cared for and rocked him to sleep. The tears returned, but this time they were tears of joy. Despite daunting odds, MIKE-E kept his promise.
levels. My father served as the first and only African-American President of the Whitehouse Correspondents' Association in 1991 and directed public relations for my group’s AfroFlow Tour in association with the American Cancer Society since the tour's inception in 2007. It was a unique and distinct honor to work with him. Being all too familiar with the dangers of tobacco, my father was beyond dedicated to the cause. Bob, as I jokingly called him from time to time, died with a laptop by his bedside. He was stubbornly working on tour related media projects from the hospital. During the 2009 tour, my dad successfully battled prostate cancer, opting for early morning treatments so that he could fulfill media duties throughout the remaining day. The appendage to my father’s piece is that a week after my second return to Africa I flew my mother, Diane, along with my Aunt Jackie, into Addis Ababa to surprise Ethiopia. My two mothers hugged and cried for what seemed like hours. It was easily one of the happiest moments of my entire life. I also had the immeasurable privilege of visiting historic sites throughout the majestic country that is so often ill portrayed, with these beautiful women who gave me life and purpose. En route to the picturesque Blue Nile waterfalls in the far reaches of the Tis Abay province, we experienced yet another magical moment. About a dozen young children emerged from the Nile River laughing, smiling, and singing “Alright, everything will be alright, we can make it!”
The path of any artist is characteristically laden with challenges, setbacks, mistakes, criticisms, disappointments and some degree of self doubt. My mother's reunion and that day at the shores of the timeless Nile confirmed my sojourn as expressed by the poet, Robert Frost: “Do not follow where the path may lead... Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” The blessings that my family, Ethiopia - the woman and the country – and its regal people have given me thus far are immeasurable. I don’t know what I have done or will do to deserve them but I am certainly eternally grateful.| - Michael “MIKE-E” Ellison |
“Stamina” – The lead single and video from AfroFlow II
“Ethiopia (Everything Will Be Alright)"
“Mezeker Means to Remember” – From HBO Def Poetry
“Addis Ababa Bete” – The remix of Alemayehou Eshete’s timeless classic
“Sticks” – Live from RFK Stadium in Washington, DC
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 Baby Mike and mother, Diane in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
 Diane and Ethiopia reunited in Addis |
 Baby Mike with "second mother" Ethiopia in Addis Ababa |
 Bob Ellison photographed on a road trip in Ethiopia |
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 Bob Ellison teaching history at Shimer Junior High School in 1968 |
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 photo credit: Jessica Cobb Mike at a celebration with the HIV/AIDS Prevention Care and Support Organization (HAPCSO) directed by Sister Tibebe Maco in Addis Ababa |
 MIKE-E and AfroFlow performing at the African World Festival in Detroit, August 2010 |
 MIKE-E in the stands while performing at the Ethiopian Sports and Cultural Festival in Dallas, TX |
 photo credit: Jessica Cobb Mike addressing a group of students at St. Michael's Church in Bahar Dar, Ethiopia |
