- Arnold Josiah Ford
Rabbi Arnold Josiah Ford (
23 April 1877 –16 September 1935 ) was the first black rabbi in America, and a prominent member ofHarlem 's Black Jews.Ford was born in
Barbados to Edward Thomas Ford and Elizabeth Augustine Ford. He grew up to became a musician in theRoyal Navy before settling in theUnited States .Talented as a linguist, poet, musician and composer of many
UNIA songs, Ford co-authored "The Universal Ethiopian Anthem " withBenjamin E. Burrell . Ford officially functioned as director of UNIA Band, Orchestra, Band of theAfrican Legion , and theLiberty Hall Choir. He published the "Universal Ethiopian Hymnal " in 1920.In 1930 he and a small group of Black Jews went to
Ethiopia where they participated in the coronation of EmperorHaile Selassie , created a school, and acquired convert|800|acre|km2 of land for the purpose of uniting Black Jews of the Diaspora with their brothers already in Ethiopia. He died there in 1935.References
* [http://www.blackjews.org/images/September%2011%20A%20Tradegy%20in%20Search%20of%20Meaning.pdf Levy, Sholomo B. "September 11th: A Tragedy in Search of Meaning"]
External links
* [http://www.unia-acl.org The Official UNIA-ACL website]
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