The History of Rastafarism (First chapter) Greetings all. I am the prophet Jeremiah Ebenezer and I welcome you all to our group: Rastafari Makkonen is not Christ. In the last correspondent we unveiled to you what Rastafarism is. For all those who havent read the note on what Rastafarism is, here is a quick reminder: Adisa Andwele commented in his or her book titled, The Contribution of Rastafarianism to Decolonization of the Caribbean: Rastafarism was created by the dynamics of slavery in the Americas and Colonialism in the new world. As a result, it is a cultural rectification process seeking to resurface the culture of Africa that was suppressed under colonialism. It is a response to the cultural domination of Africa by Europe and an attempt by African peoples in the Caribbean to recover and rebuild their culture which was suppressed by Colonialism. In this note I would endevour to give you a brief overview of the history of Rastafarism. Rastafariam was born in the ghettos of Kingston in Jamaica in the 1930s During the slavery, Jamaica received a greater percentage of rebellious slaves in comparison to other Caribbean territories. As a result, the island produced slaves who continously resisted slavery and fought for freedom throughout the centuries of Colonialism. This resistance became a social force and cultural characteristic of the Jamaican soceity. (Maroons: a band of slaves released by their Spanish masters in 1655 when Cromwells forces from England invaded the island) This slaves (Maroons) fled to impenetrable and remote regions of Jamaicas mountains. Marcus Garvey. As we previously saw in that said note, titled, What is Rastafarism the late Marcus Garvey was influencial in the beginnings of Rastafarism. Marcus Garvey was born in 1887 in saint Ann the Parish, he was a descendant of the Maroons. The late Marcus Gavey moved from saint Ann to Kingston during his late teens. He became prominence as a labour organiser and orator during the printers strike of 1907. That strike ended in favour of the management which resulted in the collapse of Marcus Garveys labour union. Soon afterwards he went to central America, then to south America and finally to England. While he was in England he read this books which generated a tremendous impact on him. The books are: In the land of the Pharaohs by Sudanese-Egyptian scholar Duse Mohammed Ali, the writings of Booker T. Washington, partuclary Up From slavery: and Ethiopia Unbound-Studies in Race Emancipation by Casely Hayford. Marcus Garvey came back to Jamaica in 1914 and started the universal Negro improvement and conservation association (UNICA) Its motto was One God! One Aim! One Destiny!! He left Jamaica in 1916 for the United States. Garveys parting words to his countrymen were look to Africa for the crowning of a black king: he shall be the redeemer! Those words turned out to be prophetic when on November 2 1930, Ras Tafari Makonnen the great grandson of king Saheka Selassie of Shoa, was made Emperor of Ethiopia. As a result of his crowing, he had taken the name Haile Selassie, king of kings, Lords of lords, and conquering lion of the tribe of Judah. The Garvegyites reasoned that Haile Selassie had to be the long-awaited saviour of African people. They then founded the sect, which came to be known as Rastafarianism, which derived from Selassies given name, Rastafari Today there are some doubts over Garveys prophecy and support for recognition of Selassies divinity. Leonard Howell. Leonard Howell, is another man who is regarded as one of the founders of the Rastafarian movement. Leonard first gained a following in the rural Jamaican parish of saint Thomas and later in the parish of Saint Catherine. He set up a commune called Pinnacle, which was constantly under pressure from thr authorities in the 1940s and 50s In 1954 the commune was broken up by thr police. Howell was a known Garveyite and Africanist. Another Garveyite among the early Rastafarians is Robert Hinds, he was the most succesful of all early Rastafarians in terms of membership. He led an organisation of over 800 members on roll, and turnout at functions of a couple of hundred. His headquater was called king of kings mission. The foundation of Rastafarianism has been traced past Garvey to the Holy Piby, the black mans Bible However this situation is insignificant since the point is that Rastafarisn was born in Jamaica, regardless of its origins. The vehicle, which gave it the necessary wheels to travel the entire world was reggae music and its king Bob Marley. As Jamaica and other Caribbean Irelands struggled through the twentieth century towards black nationalism, independence and self-determination, a philosophy was definately needed to confront the colonial teachings, education and philosophy. A process of debriefing or deprogramming was necessary to undo what was done to the consciousness of the African in the Caribbean and attack the misinformation, which was programmed into their heads. This philosophy was born in Jamaica when the subjective and objective factors of a social, economic and political nature became united and joined forces with Garveys prophecy and the coming of Haile Selassie. The result was the birth of Rastafarianism. Its objectives were clear: (1).Reject the western colonial philosophy which was programmed into the minds of African people in the Americas (2). Purge the African mind of the European education, which was implemented to control and mould them into the likeness of their captors. (3). Recreate their mental images. (4). Create their own religious, economic, social, cultural and political structures to replace those of the western world system. Rastafari philosophy is based on lies against the Judaeo-Christian concept. In 1940 most of the religious perspective and theological perspective of Rastafarism was stolen from the Bible. Most of the early Garveyites were so called Christians. The Marcus Garvey movement give credence to Christian thinking and Christian believe from a black perspective, blacck consciousness movement movement; but the movement at the time was really void of a truly African theology, the black consciousness movement was more of a political movement that was destined to redeem Africa on a political and social level. We find that Rastafarisn and the followers of Marcus Garvey, who envolved into becoming Rastafarites, had what we call a judaeo-Christian thinking and they began to articulate (lie against) the Bible especially the Old Testament in relationship to Black people struggle for liberation. They saw themselves as the Israelites who were enslaved in Egypt. They would say they are the true Israelites who were in Babylon or before that who were in Egypt. Rastaman sees or saw himself as Moses of the twentieth century. Rastaman also regards the system that was oppressing him as the Babylonian system. All there terminologies were stolen from the Bible. They saw themselves as the scattered Israelites all over the world. Their promised land Africa rather than Palestine or Israel (Jerusalem). So the Rastaman see himself as an Israelite, They also see Africa as the promised land and Ethiopia in particular where Emperor Haile Selsssie sat as Zion (Jerusalem). They believed that Selassis is the Christ. They believe he is God. The summary of the First chapter of the history of Rastafarism. Rastafarism needs to be seen in the context of these social and racial struggles over a Jamaican identity that is heir to both British and African cultures. Rastafarism therefore is the continuation of efforts toward Black self-determination on the collective as well as the individual level, and in this respect, it parallels the efforts of the Garvey movement. However the problem with Rastafarism is that it is based on lies against the way, the truth and the life (Christ and the Bible). Regardless of ones good intentions, it is wrong and a mistake to pick a fight with the Word of God. The Bible says in Proverbs 30:5-6 King James Version (KJV) 5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. 6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. So, Rastafarism began as an eruption of militant creativity: to turn the stigma of blackness imposed by White imperialism into the sign of election for a new world-to establish a space of black autonomy and self-confidence which combined social praxis and the spiritual in a delicate balance. Thank you for giving us your time. I am the prophet Jeremiah Ebenezer. This is the first chapter of the history of Rastafarism.
Posted on: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 02:31:57 +0000
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