Rastafarianism

I

Introduction

Rastafarianism, a religious and cultural movement that originated in Jamaica around 1930. The movement was named after Tafari Makonnen, which was the original name of Haile Selassie I, a prince who in 1930 was crowned emperor of Ethiopia. Ras means “Lord” in the Amharic language. Selassie’s other titles included King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

II

Beliefs

The central doctrine of Rastafarianism, also known as Rasta, is that Haile Selassie is the God of the black race. This belief continued to be held even after his death in 1975. The Ras Tafari movement is thought to be a strand of the “Back to Africa” movement created by Jamaican leader Marcus Garvey after he moved to the United States and settled in New York City in 1916. Garvey preached black pride and black emancipation, and advocated a return of black Americans to Africa, their ancestral homeland, and particularly to Liberia and Sierra Leone. According to a widely believed report, Garvey told his followers in Jamaica, at his departure for the United States, “Look to Africa where a Black King shall be crowned; he shall be your redeemer.” After the coronation of Haile Selassie, many Garveyites began to search the Bible for confirmation of the prophecy. The confirmation was found in Revelation 19:16, which reads: “And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.” With these events the Rastafarian movement was born.

Rastafarianism is a millenarian movement emphasizing the belief that, through the power of a supernatural being, oppressed people will miraculously be led from oppression to a new heaven on Earth where all problems will be solved in peace. To believers, Haile Selassie I is the God with supreme powers; through him they look for an immediate return to Ethiopia—the promised land—and the biblical name for Africa. Rastafarians have developed an elaborate ritual system using marijuana (ganja) as a sacrament, as Christians use bread and wine. They have adopted the law of the biblical Nazarites, which prohibits the cutting of their hair. As a result, many wear their hair in long, matted locks known as dreadlocks. Rastafarians sometimes wear knitted caps of red, gold, green, and black—the colors of the Ethiopian flag, which have symbolic significance for members of the movement. They also observe Hebrew dietary laws, abstaining from certain items in their diet, and eating only those foods considered pure and untainted.

III

History

The earliest evangelists of the emerging movement in Jamaica were Joseph Hibbert, Archibald Dunkley, Ferdinand Ricketts, Vernal Davis, and Leonard Howell. Howell is credited with the early development of the movement from 1930 to 1960, leading it through its initial struggles. He bore the brunt of government opposition to the movement, especially to his preaching that blacks should not pay taxes to the government of Jamaica, which was then a British colony. Charged with sedition, he was sentenced to two years in prison during the 1930s.

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The early Rastafarian movement drew its membership from among the disadvantaged young, the unemployed, and the unemployable, but the revolutionary doctrine of the movement soon began to penetrate the middle class. By the mid-1960s the movement had drawn large numbers of educated young people and professionals. By the early 1980s the movement consisted of two tiers: the Rastafarians of long standing, who came primarily from poverty, and the new, educated Rastafarians.

From Jamaica the Rastafarian movement spread to the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States, and to other Caribbean islands. The conversion of reggae singer Bob Marley to Rastafarianism in 1967 helped the Rastafarian message become widespread during the 1970s and early 1980s, as Marley and reggae achieved mainstream popularity. After Marley’s death in 1981 other reggae musicians, inspired by the Rastafarian message, also communicated it through their music.

Because of its revolutionary stance the Rastafarian movement was controversial from its emergence. It is unequivocally a black-consciousness movement. The creed itself is generally peaceful, and Rasta has become increasingly accepted by mainstream organizations as a legitimate religious movement. The ritual use of marijuana has contributed to some unfavorable perceptions of the movement, especially in countries where marijuana is illegal.