Rastafari Movement

1. Rastafari Movement Amber Mckin Erin O’Brian Lindsay Strait Evan Salvador Hannah Downs Alex

2. HistoryofRastafarians • Tradition was to resist against the system • Prophet figure was Marcus Garvey, shaped the movement with his philosophies and promoted black nationalism • Was influential to lower-class black in Jamaica • Rastafarians can be seen as extensions of Garveyites (Garvey’s followers) • The Holy Piby is one writing that is a primary source of information • Holy Piby taught self-reliance and self-determination

3. History continued… • The name Rastafari comes from Ras; meaning “head’ or leader • The Rastafarian movement is generated by Reggae music (Expecially Bob Marley) • Leonard Howell (considered the first Rasta) formed a communion at Pinnacle consisting of 5,000 or more • Cannabis is used frequently for spiritual use

4. TheFiveMainDoctrines • The doctrines of Rastafari are completely opposite from the basic norms of the modern mind. • Rastafari stresses loyalty to their vision of “Zion,” and rejection of modern society. • Individual Rasta’s work out their religion for themselves, resulting in a wide variety of different doctrines.

5. Afrocentrism • Rasta’s believe that scientists try to discover how the world is by looking from the outside in, whereas the Rasta approach is to see life from the inside, looking out. • Rastafarian is viewed as a response to racist negativity of black people • They also believe that living close and a part of nature as much as possible is African, and they show that through dreadlocks, ganja, ital food, and in all aspects of the Rasta life. • Another important Afrocentric identification is with the colors red, gold, and green, of the Ethiopian flag as well as, the addition of black, the colors of "Pan-African Unity" • Red stands for the blood of the witnesses, Gold stands for wealth prosperity, or the sun which gives everything light, and Green stands for the vegetation of Africa.

6. HaileSelassieandtheBible • Haile Selassie I was crowned the Emperor of Ethiopia on November 2, 1930. • The Emperor of Ethiopia is the living God who will lead the African people into a promised land and a world of full freedom, and divine justice. • Most Rasta’s believe the only half of the bible is written and that the other half was stolen from them along with their culture. Halie Selassie

7. RepatriationandRace • Repatriation is the desire to return home to Africa after 400 years of slavery. • They believe it also is living forever in peace, love and harmony. • They declared that the teachings of the Bible is the route to spiritual freedom for people of any racial or ethnic background.

8. ChurchandTheHolyTrinity • Some Rasta’s believe that their body is the true Church or Temple of God. • They believe there is no need to build churches or temples out of physical buildings • They believe Hali Selassie is God the Father and God the Son of the Holy Trinity • They also believe that potentially humans embody the Holy Spirit

9. PhysicalImmortality • Physical immortality means they believe that a selected few will continue to live forever in their current bodies. • An example of physical immortality is Bob Marley’s refusal to write a will • They believe that writing a will would mean they were giving into death and forgoing their chances at everliving life.

10. Diet • Rasta culture consists of an ital diet. • Ital is derived from the word “vital” meaning a natural and healthy way of life • They believe your body is a temple and you need to rid it of impureness.

11. Diet Cont. • Ital is generally a vegan diet, even if some Rasta's eat fish. Some prohibit salt. In all cases, Ital prohibits pork, preservatives and chemical ingredients. Ingredients have to be as natural as possible. • They believe that touching meat is a form of touching death. • They also believe that consuming alcohol is deemed unhealthy too. • They believe that if you consume meat, alcohol or anything else unhealthy then your body will become a cemetery.

12. Politics • Rastas originally did not vote • At the One Love Peace Concert on April 22, 1978 Peter Tosh decriminalized against cannabis while smoking a spliff and was beat up 5 months later by Jamaican Authorities. • At the same concert Bob Marley led Prime Minister Michael Manley and opposition leader Edward Seaga onto the stage and took a famous picture of all three holding hands, a symbolic gesture of peace during a violent election • In the United Kingdom some Rastas work with the police to help keep peace on the streets

13. Language • Rastas believe that their African languages were taken from them during the slave trade and that English is a colonial language. • Created their own vocabulary and dialect showing their desire to take forward language and confront society • I-tal = vital (used to describe diet) • Overstanding = understanding (denote an enlightenment which places one in a better position) • Irie = used to denote acceptance or positive feeling, describe something that is good • Livication = dedication (ded-ication associated with death) • Downpression = oppression (pressure is being applied from a position of power to put down the victim) • Zion = Paradise of Jah or Ethopia • Laryic = substitution for “I-and-I” referring to Jah and includes the presence of the divine in an individual. Also can be the separation of an individual from the community.

15. -ISMS • Rastas rejects all –isms because they want no part in them – such as communism and capitalism. • Especially reject Rastafarianism because they see themselves as having transcended “-isms”. • Created conflict between the Rastas and the scholars studying the Rastafari movement who insist on calling their religious belief Rastafarianism despite disapproval from Rastas. • This practice has continued among scholars however because it fits with their academic standards of use. Rastas think that this analysis is unnecessary.

16. Ceremonies • There are two types of Rasta religious ceremonies. A reasoning ceremony is a simple event where the Rasta's gather; smoke ganja; and discuss ethical, social and religious issues. The person in authority lights the herb and passes it clockwise, unless in time of war they pass is counter clockwise. • A binghi or grounation is a holy day, binghis are marked by much dancing, singing, feasting and the smoking of ganja, and can last for several days.

18. Dreadlocks • Rastas believe dreadlocks to be supported by Leviticus 21:5 ("They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in the flesh.") • The length of a Rasta's dreads is a measure of wisdom, maturity, and knowledge • The way to form natural dreadlocks is to allow hair to grow in its natural pattern, without cutting, combing or brushing, but simply to wash it with pure water. • It is not deemed necessary for, or equivalent to, true faith.

19. Ganja • spiritual act, often accompanied by Bible study • cleans the body and mind, heals the soul, exalts the consciousness, facilitates peacefulness, brings pleasure, and brings them closer to Jah. • Genesis 3:18 "... thou shalt eat the herb of the field."

20. Colors • The colors of Rasta are the colors of the Ethiopian flag - red, gold and green • The green is for the earth that people walk on, to which Rastas feel a special connection. • The black is for the skin of the people. • The red is for the blood of all living things in the world. • The gold is for the sun and Jah's light that shine on people.

21. Music • Niyabinghi chants are played at worship ceremonies called grounations, that include drumming, chanting and dancing, along with prayer and ritual smoking of cannabis. • Drums are a large part of worship because Jah’s spirit is in the drum • Another type of music is buru, played with three drums and later used by hip hop DJs.

22. Reggae Music • Originated from Kingston, Jamaica and was a combination of Jamaican folk music with R&B, jazz and ska. • Bob Marley helped spread Reggae and the original nyabinghi chants by incorporating them into his music. • Many Reggae musicians incorporate Rasta history, doctrine and culture into their music • Many reggae songs also praise Jah

23. Rastafari Today • Rastafari is not a highly organized religion and many Rastas believe it is not a “religion” but “a way of life”. • Rastafari encourages one to find faith inside themselves although some identify with the “mansions of Rastafari” being Nyahbinghi, the Bobo Ashanti and the Twelve Tribes of Israel. • Women are starting to have a greater role and are now accepted in religious and social ceremonies. • Rastas are strongly again birth control, abortion and homosexulaity • Rastafari has grown to incorporate more races today instead of just Black African. • A small Rastafari group has also sprung up in Japan where they created special shops selling natural foods and spread the reggae music