Since 1997, TSEHAI has connected with hundreds of African writers and readers, giving rise to the voice of the continent. With Harriet Tubman Press, we hope to do the same with the largely underrepresented, or misrepresented, voices of African-Americans.

Our Mission

The ultimate goal and aim of Harriet Tubman Press is to uncover hidden narratives, to publish introspective academic and creative work, and to provide the world with a new knowledge and direction of a community which, having a tumultuous past, now participates in every level of American public and private sectors, political offices, and process. 

THE HISTORY OF TSEHAI PUBLISHERS

TSEHAI Publishers was founded in 1998 by Elias Wondimu, an Ethiopian exiled journalist. In September 1994, he left his country to participate the Twelfth International Ethiopian Studies conference at Michigan State University in East Lansing, but his three weeks travel became indefinite. Later that year, he joined the Ethiopian Review magazine in Los Angeles, serving as managing editor for the next six years. In these years, he worked with many scholars, political activists and public intellectuals on issues of local and global interest. 

Passionate about African and issues of its Diaspora, Wondimu saw a void in the American book market. Books on Africa were few and scattered among various publishers, and some among those books that were available in the market were spreading poisonous seeds of ignorance and hatred. He found that he had questions for which the current literature had no answers, and the ones that did were out of print. Frustrated by waiting for a change in the publishing world, and not wanting another generation to experience the same troubles, Wondimu decided to take matters into his own hands. He determined to publish books that would heal not kill, and restore the state of the publishing industry. TSEHAI is housed at the Loyola Marymount University, making it the only African press housed at any American, Eduropean or Asian university.