Afrocentrism Socially, Rastafari has typically been viewed as a response to racist negation of black people as it was experienced, both in the world as a whole (where Selassie was the only black leader recognised in international circles), and in Jamaica, where in the 1930s black people were at the bottom of the social order, while white people and their religion and system of government were at the top. Marcus Garveys encouragement of black people to take pride in themselves and their African heritage inspired the Rastas to embrace all things African. They teach that they were brainwashed while in captivity to negate all things black and African. They turned the white image of them--as primitive and straight out of the jungle--into a defiant embrace of the African culture they see as having been stolen from them when they were taken from Africa on the slave ships. Africa is associated with Zion. Africa/Zion is the starting place of all human ancestry as well as the original state of mind that can be reached through meditation and the ganja herb. Living close to and as a part of nature is seen as African. This African approach to naturality is seen in the dreadlocks, ganja (marijuana), ital food, and in all aspects of Rasta life. Taba...
Posted on: Wed, 04 Dec 2013 07:04:28 +0000
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