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27-11-03, 11:02 AM
blkrainbowfroathaba. Here goesblkpoketongueRastafarianism is important for numerous reasons, especially its origins which are founded in the African in Jamaica’s brutal experience of slavery and in order to understand its evolution we need to appreciate the crucial historical points of tension in the islands history, in the forms of African resistance to white supremacy/imperialism/slavery and neo colonialism.
Jamaican social order was characterised by a very rigid caste based society based on skin colour, which existed in all the Caribbean, but not to the degree of that island. For example it had a larger mixed race, or non-African population than most islands which was ruthlessly enforced, with black Africans being treated appallingly and in humanely at every turn. Please remember the notion Jamaican did not exist, as most of these contemporary island names meant nothing to the African majority.
It is no wonder; the African majority depicted their experiences and that of their oppressors in terms of white evil, which was almost synonymous at the time. In other words the material and psychical oppression became reflected in the religious and spiritual outlook of our people.
Resistance to white evil, to the forms of political resistance, as seen by the ongoing civil unrest which characterises Jamaican history to this day, then it was the African against the evil white plantation owner and overseer and his brown and mix raced illegitimate offspring,[no offense meant], or today the sufferer [poor black African majority] against the big man or big boys. Same thing, different designation.
The African in Jamaica had one of the most outstanding histories of unrest and just disorder in the English Caribbean and hence the reputation of the unruly and dangerous Jamaican was born. You will need to study the major conflicts in the islands history: the famous Maroon wars, or the neg marron as we called them in our parts, and their major defeats of the British army and navy. You have to study the famous Morant Bay uprising of Paul Bogle and the uprising that chased the British out of Jamaica and quickly confirmed to them that slavery was finished, the "Big Daddy" Sharpe, or Sam Sharpe Rebellions of 1831. Slavery ended formally 1834.
Sharpe, a Baptist minister, led his follower in an armed insurrection against whites reinforcing the growing understanding that Jamaica was a very bad place for the live chances of the white man, something their cousins in the French speaking islands, had already got the taste of long time. In Dominica on several occasions they literally reduced the white population by a quarter, killing everybody else. In Haiti, Africans were executing whites in the hundreds at a time in firing squads; public beheadings and worse e.g. extended torture.
On the spiritual front, white plantation owners did not want Christianity taught to our people, which as history often shows paradoxically worked against them, because Africans continued their own traditional forms of worship. Remember, like in my island Africans ran significant parts of Jamaica, ex slaves where African culture was alive and kicking. For example in places like Achempong, Nanny Town etc, and other villages created by Maroons, and other free Africans, the had their own governments, councils and traditional chiefs and headmen. So Africa existed in Jamaica. Here you will find to this day strong Obeah, and higher metaphysical sciences e.g. called witchcraft by whites in abundance also traditional building or farming or agricultural technology, which was maintained.
The famous African based pocamania church evolved in these independent territories.
So not wanting slaves to be taught Christianity, because our people were no bodies fools, came from advanced and sophisticated African societies e.g. Gold Coast, as most of the Maroons did and would interpret Christian teachings for subversive ends. By the time, they decided to teach the African Christianity, indigenous religion and culture was so strongly rooted that the average person wanted nothing to do with it. In fact a good buddy of mine,wrote an excellent study on this.
As elsewhere in the Caribbean Africans looked at white Christianity as the devils business, whose proponents were evil, morally bankrupt and men of very low quality? Please remember, in those days, any crook or pervert, or person running away from the law could join and end up as a priest saving evil black people. While in our country raping and sleeping with children, women, little boys you name it. Wandering around the village drunk out of their skulls, singing hymns, on their way to the local black woman’s yard to spread her legs for him. That is why my mother’s people despise the Christian church, based on what they saw as kids.
However a group of American Baptist and Wesleyan ministers visiting Jamaica in the early 1800’s, brought with them 4 African slaves from the US who were to have a revolutionary impact on Jamaican history. George Lewis, Moses Baker, George Gibb et al, who begun to evolve a religion more respectful and complementary to the African and based on our traditional cultural practices. This was to have almost revolutionary impact on the whole island and Africans in particular.
In 1895, Alexander Bedward, created the Baptist Free Church, what scholars call the first millenarian movement, I will explain the term shortly. Bedward was highly religious/spiritual figure, with great powers of healing, and communication with spirits etc. He performed amazing fetes of healing the poor and given our culture was adored/loved and followed, as obviously having god given powers.
Bedward was the first religious leader of any race to have a mass following in Jamaica and thousands were spell bound by his teachings, insights and visions. However, he upset the white authorities and their funny colour children when he claimed he was Christ or he communicated and the former worked through him. One step to far and he was jailed on the grounds of being insane, which was very questionable.
Marcus Garvey, the greatest African on the planet in the 20th century and beyond, was a contemporary of Garvey. Garvey’s father came from St Anne’s like my buddy [country boy] and raised in a similar religious background. Garvey’s father was from Maroon stock, which shaped his ‘odd’ behaviour. Non-compromising, extremely independent and no tolerant of fools and very much a loner.
The massive support base Garvey was to create, integrated and crossed with the African based religions in the island and it was from there the first Garveyites who later became the founders of the Rastafarian movement came from.
In 1930, the Prince Regent Ras Tafari, of Ethiopia, later to become Haile Sellasie was crowned. The significance of this act, was taken by leaders of the various religious groups to confirm purported prophesy of the great Garvey, who had taught and spoken all his life about African history, Ethiopian history, as the founding civilisation of human kind, the origins of the Christian church etc. Archbishop Alexander McGuire, the head of he Abyssinian Baptist Church, Garvey’s right hand man and head of his church, taught heavily on similar issue, hence the name of the church.
It is alleged, that Garvey had said in one of his speeches to look to Ethiopia for signs of great things to come. No such speech has ever been found. But many as that sign saw the crowning of the young prince. In order to understand this thinking we must appreciate how our people thought, who believed in things like signs and symbols and god showing his hand in the obscure and indirect.
Religious leaders and intellectuals and their people discussed these things in great depth attempting to seek or find deeper meanings etc. What is very very interesting and unknown to most of these followers is they did not know, that Ras Tafari was actually the direct descendent of David, which only a few knew. It is a fact that has been proven by genealogist and experts in that stuff. I attended a lecture on it and it was fascinating.
But the part of the bible which really provides one of the most authentic sources of authority, for Howell and later on most Rasta’s is taken from the great book of Revelations, when it says:
“An angel proclaiming with a great voice. Who is worthy to open the book and loose the seal thereof? And no one in heaven or earth, or under the earth was able to open the book, or look thereon. And I wept much and no one was found worthy to open the book thereon: and one of the elders saith to me weep not, behold the Lion of David, hath overcome to open the book and seven seals thereof [Revelation5: 2-6].
But it was Garveyites like Leonard Howell, probably the one of a small number of founders of Rastafarianism, in so far as it evolved from different groups ideas eventually emerging and evolving. But Howell is responsible for revealing and making clear the significance of the crowning of the young prince. He made the link clear. Any doubts Howell and his people had about the significance of this event, was dashed when the prince was given the official title Haile Sellassie, 1 Kings of Kings, Lord of Lords Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah. That was it. Done deal.
However these guys did not have locks and such, but many of the cultural core of Rastafari, came from them. The wearing of locks came from my personal favourite section of the movement and people I have big love for the Nyhabinghi sect. These were the hard core, deeply religious, deeply African in custom and rituals who lived in their own areas, usually deep and segregated away from others. The Nyahbinghi, were probably the first to grow locks, which do not have religious authority or support, even some attempt to give it such. The ‘binghi man’, as they are called, grew locks in identification of the hairstyle of traditional African warriors/ and shamans. The earliest picture of a man with serious locks I saw was that of General Dedan Kimanthi, of the Kenyan Land and Freedom Army [Mau, Mau] and is believed these types of images influenced the ‘Binghi men’.
Weed smoking has no doctrinal authority, or basis, even though choose to give it some. Weed smoking as explained to me by a senior Ras was described as simply assisting the meditative state of mind, which is crucial for reasoning, which they do a whole heap of, or before they read their bible and for generating oneness and brother/sister hood because it relaxes and opens the mind, reduces aggression and creates a more harmonious environment.
The notion that Rasta’s are high or heavy weed smokers is one of the greatest myths ever purported, as most youngsters today probably smoke more weed than most rastas put together. Again these things evolved as part of its history, probably with one sect using the weed and others catching on, until it became accepted.
By the way and I don’t want to upset any Rasta brethren or sistren, but Garvey could not stand Haile Selassie, long before he helped destroy Ethiopia and bringing about his own overthrow. So a bit of a problem there is Garvey is seen as the prophet who saw the coming of Selassie. Sorry factual not so.
But for me, Rastafari, is actually more important than examining the accuracy of its theology, far more significant than that and hence its important impact on the 20 Th century.blktrainers
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