The King or the Messiah
Thousands are come from everywhere around Jamaica and gathered at Palisadoes airport (currently the Norman Manley International Airport) in Kingston, Jamaica. They are singing, beating drums, chanting and screaming heavily as it has never seen before. The heavy rain is pouring over their head but they all don’t seem to be bothered by it. The majority of the people are the followers of the Rastafarians faith with dread lock hairs and heavy ganja smokers. They all anxiously were waiting to see their savior the lion of Judah, the beloved king of Ethiopia, HIM (His Imperial Majesty) Emperor Haile Selassie I.
Minutes before the king’s arrival the rain stopped completely and the sun rise followed its turn to shine
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Selassie was born on July 23, 1982 from his father Ras Mekonen, a chief advisor to one of the greatest rulers of Ethiopia Empperor Menelik III. Selassie former name was Ras Tafari Mekonen until he became the Emperor In 1930. When black poor Jamaican heard that there is a new king in east Africa, Ethiopia, named Ras Tafari, they knew he was the King that Marcus Garvey had predicted. Quickly their religion name became Rastafarian and started believing the king as their savior god. The word Rastafari is came from the king’s name. In Ethiopian language of Amaharic Ras means head or a leader and Tafari is the name of the king Hile Selassie’s before he became Empror. Rastafarians use’s as the name of their …show more content…
Black Jamaican believes they are stolen as slave by Europeans and Arab slave traders from West Africa as far as Mt. Kenya in Africa. They are taken to the Caribbean more than five hundred years ago and forgotten by their ancestors there. They also believe that they have the roots of Solomon and queen Sheba which connects them to the Ethiopian King as well as Ethiopians. Selassie does have the roots of queen Sheba’s family train.
The Jamaican activist Marcus Garvey who campaigned for political and social change in Jamaica was told his followers “Look to Africa for the crowning of a black king, he shall be the redeemer.” This is the prophecy started the Rastafarians religion. However, Garvey was not Rastafarian. His philosophy of black Jamaicans rightful place to be in Africa after the slavery was abolished in 1833 has to do with the historic celebration of the Selassies’s arrival. Garvey died before the Rastafarian religion was born. Three years after Marcus Garvey spoke the prophecy, in 1930 Haile Selassie I became the Emperor of
Marcus Garvey had a huge influence on the African Diaspora and where it connected with the black men and women. Ethiopia, in Garvey’s perspective, was seen as the home of all African’s in exile in the African Diaspora. (McMurray 48) See now what Garvey was influencing, yet not the initiator of, was on how the African Diaspora connected with the idea or dream of returning home to Africa. With that movement already going on and established, he was able to feed off other ideas and goals and incorporate them into his own. Garvey began to wonder who was the voice for the African’s and why the black men and women didn’t have the opportunities that other people, not African, did.
In this research paper I will discuss the ethnic groups of Africans in the Caribbean and Jews in Ethiopia. Jews in Ethiopia call themselves Beta Israel which means `house of Israel.' They are also known as the Falashas. Falasha means `stranger' or `immigrant' in the classical language of Ethiopia (the Ge'ez tongue). I will also describe the culture of the African people displaced into the Caribbean who identify themselves as the Rastafarians and the connections I have made between them and Judaism. I believe that these connections between Judaism and Rastafarianism are more than just similarities that can be found between any two Bible- following religions. I choose the Falashas as the topic for personal, religious and spiritual reasons. I was born into a Jewish household, rich in the traditions and customs of my Hebrew ancestors. I grew up however in the Caribbean, home of the unique culture known as the Rastafari. Throughout my life I have felt a deep connection between Judaism and Rastafarianism. In this paper I seek the origins and history of the connection that I feel in my heart. I believe that the Falashas are the bridge between these two cultures.
Rasta’s believe that they are Israelites and that the white persons have been persecuting them as a form of punishment. They believe in the days of slavery they were removed from Ethiopia and brought to Jamaica, but they believe that one day they will be returned to Ethiopia. They believe that they are the true Israelites, the fact that they adhere to the laws in the Old Testament. No sharp materials is to be used to damage man as was said in Leviticus 21:5 “They shall not make baldness upon their heads, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cutting in their flesh.” They still adhere to the ancient laws of Ethiopia and they also condemn hate, jealousy, envy, deceit, craftiness and treachery.
Since its founding in the 1930s, the Rastafarian movement has grown to the point where it has become a major cultural and political force in Jamaica. During its existence, the movement has challenged Jamaica's neo-colonialist society's attempts to keep whites at the top and blacks at the bottom of the socio-economic structure.
The Rastafari movement stems from the teachings of the great Jamaican leader and motivator of masses, Maces Garvey. Garvey told the African people of the world to unite and to return to African, the homeland. Garvey’s vision was for the “Blacks to overcome their feelings of inferiority and build upon their own unique and evolving culture, and ultimately return to Africa to redeem their homeland and to build a future...
Rastafarianism was founded in the slums of Jamaica on November 2nd, 1930, that was based on a movement in 1920, by Marcus Garvey. This movement was named after Ras Tafari Makonnen, who was crowned the Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia when the movement started. The term “Rastafarianism” is disliked by many in the movement because the “isms and schisms” characterize the corruption and oppression that white society was known for (in their perspective) and was believed to be the term given by the same people. The movement was formed to encourage Rastas (blacks- only at the time) to fight that oppression that they hated and was also formed on the Hebrew Bible belief that Black people are God’s chosen people (ReligionFacts.com).
In the 1920s, Marcus Mosiah Garvey preached a rhetoric of pan-Africanism, and of a Jamaican exodus to the homeland of Africa. One young and impressionable Jamaican, Samuel Brown was touched and motivated by Garveyism, and his self-taught schooling eventually laid a great foundation for a cohesive Rastafarian sect through political action.
Marcus Garvey is regarded as one of great figure and leader organization of the largest black nationalist movement in history, the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). As a journalist and publisher, Marcus Garvey had published many papers for the black cause. “The declaration of the right of negro people”, where the author protest against the wrongs and injustices the black community are getting from the white community and “An appeal to the conscience of the black race” in which Marcus states that in order to change the negro situation they need to work in unity as a nation and country and being self-reliance and self-help to ourselves rather to depend to white community Let Nobody turn Us around (Section 4 chapter 3). For a better understanding to Marcus Garvey impact in the black community, we will pr1ovide a brief biography, the UNIA’s goal and impact and end up with his relationship with the other black leader
Haile Selassie who was believed to be a descendant from the line of David by Solomon, was a symbol to the black man. He exhibited that the black man had the capacity to be strong. This image that Selassie provided, was contrary to what blacks saw in Ethiopia, despite, Ethiopia being a black nation that had been independent for thousands of years. As a result of his assumed decadency and what he embodied, both Ethiopian’s and Jamaican’s assigned him as their savior. Within “Classic Black Nationalism: From the American Revolution to Marcus Garvey”, Young illustrates how Selassie was able to transcend form Africa to Jamaica proving that he is the black Messiah.
The idea of the repatriation of Blacks to Africa is a theme that runs deeply within Rastafarian beliefs. Although the concept of Ethiopia being the true and glorious home of all Blacks is imbedded in Rastafarian beliefs, the idea dates much farther back in history. Dating back to the African slave trade beginning in the eighteenth century, Ethiopianism has influenced the Black race dramatically. People such as Marcus Garvey have raised the world’s awareness of the oppression of the Black race and his solution of repatriation. Garvey believed that if Blacks could have a land of their own, where they could prosper and gain power then the world would have to respect this nation and it’s people. (Barrett, 1997, P.68-69)
Rastafari is a theology based upon the writings of Marcus Garvey a Jamaican social activist. The movement’s global spread from Jamaica across the world has been strongly influenced by Bob Marley and closely associated with reggae. Many of Marley’s songs captured the essence of Rastafari religion and its social and political beliefs. (bbc.co.uk, 2014)
The belief system of the Rastafarians is that Haile Selassie is the living God for the black race. Selassie, whose previous name was Ras Tafari, was the black Emperor of Ethiopia. Rastafarians live a peaceful life, needing little material possessions and devote much time to contemplating the scriptures. They reject the white man's world, as the new age Babylon of greed and dishonesty. Proud and confident "Rastas" even though they are humble will stand up for their rights. Rastas let their hair grow naturally into dreadlocks, in the image of the lion of Judah. The total following is believed to be over a million worldwide. Also the belief system of Rastafarianism is somewhat based on six fundamental principles. These included Hatred for the white race, the complete superiority of the black race, Revenge on whites for their wickedness, the negation, persecution, and humiliation of the government and legal bodies of Jamaica, Preparation to go back to Africa and Acknowledging Emperor Haile Selassie as the Supreme Being and only ruler of black people.
Cedella Booker pushed Marley to pursue a different career choice that will promise stability. Marley followed his mother’s advice and started a welding job but left it soon due to an eye injury the job caused. During working hours a small steel element was lodged into Marley’s eye and became the reason for leaving the job. After quitting the welding job, Marley solely wanted to focus on his music career. Marley then produced his first singles with the help of Leslie Kong, who was a music producer. When the singles failed to grab any audience then Marley was only paid $20.00 for all of his three singles, which included Terror, Judge not, and one more cup of coffee (Burke, 2014). In 1963, Bob Marley and O’Riley Livingston met Peter McIntosh and combined forces to create the group called The Wailers. The group became widely popular in Jamaica and their first single was on top of the charts. The group also included Cherry Smith, Junior Braithwaite and Beverly Kelso, all the group members left soon after the group was facing financial troubles (Gilmore, 2005). As the group drifted apart then Bob Marley left for USA to visit his mother, he came back to Jamaica after the Rastafarian movement. Rastafarian movement is a belief system which states that Haile Selassie I is god and will come back to Africa for black community as consolidation for
Marcus was not noticed for just one accomplishment is his lifetime, but many on them. When Marcus returned to Jamaica he got re-acquainted with a group of friends and founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), which sought, among other things, to work on black emigration to Africa. It also promoted racial pride, education, and black business activity. In Jamaica Garvey didnâ...
Bob Marley, whose full name is Robert Nesta Marley, was born on a farm in Nine Mile, Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica on February 6, 1945. He was a Jamaican singer, guitarist, songwriter, and social activist. He is also credited with reggae music around the world and is one of the most important symbols regarding Jamaican culture and identity. Bob’s father was a white British naval captain named Norval Sinclair Marley and his mother was a country village girl named Cedella. They were 60 and 19 years-old at the time they had him. Due to his mixed racial makeup, Bob was bullied constantly and nicknamed “White Boy” by his neighbors. Although this experience was extremely challenging and difficult to go through, he later said the it helped him develop this philosophy. To quote he says “I’m not on the white man’s side, or the black man’s side. I’m on God’s side.”