White Rastafarians?
By Nick Poole
When you think about the word “Rastafarian”, you probably imagine a Jamaican man with dark skin and dreadlocks… as a matter of fact, you probably think about Bob Marley. This wouldn’t be an inappropriate association, after-all, Bob Marley is probably the most internationally recognized practitioner of Rastafari. However, not all rastas these days are from Jamaica, and there is even a small but growing population of Caucasian practitioners. No, I’m not talking about teenaged skateboarders who smoke marijuana and listen to reggae music, I’m talking about real, deeply religious, white rastas. Now, depending on how much you know about Rastafari, you’re either wondering, “How does a White person join the Rasta faith?” or you’re wondering, “What’s the big deal?”. I think it may be wise to first address the latter.
Let’s start with a little history of the religion. Rastafari is a relatively new religion, which finds it’s beginnings in the early 1930s, surrounding the coronation of Haile Selassie I as the Emperor of Ethiopia. The word “Rastafari” actually comes from his pre-coronation name: Tafari Makonnen (“Ras” is an Ethiopian title, literally translated to “head”, but more precisely equated to “Duke”). Rastafari began when it was suggested that the coronation of Haile Selassie I as the Emperor of the only fully independent African State fulfilled Biblical prophecy. People of the Rastafari Faith believe that Haile Selassie I is God incarnate, and refer to him as HIM or His Imperial Majesty. The faith is deeply Afro centric, and maintains that Ethiopia is “Zion”. For a short period of time near it’s origin, the faith was not only afro centric, but Black supremacist. This notion of racism towards whites didn’t last very long, as Haile Selassie himself publicly condemned racism. Rastafari is also well known for the practice of smoking Ganja as the sacrament. Which drives many people to wonder, are white rastas real people of faith, or are they just in it for the marijuana?
Well, there’s no question that many people are attracted to the prospect of a religion where marijuana use is not only accepted but widely encouraged. However, A person can’t just dreadlock their hair, smoke ganja, and call themselves a Rasta. Rastafari is a real faith which is earning respect in the theological world as a religion that pulls a lot of weight. It was a beacon of Hope to the poor population of Jamaica in the 1930s and has continued to minister to the under-privileged today. It teaches solid values such as Positivity, Faith, Meditation, and “overstanding”, the Rasta word for understanding which was changed to have a more positive connotation. It warns against the potential danger of corrupt “Babylon” society, and has been instrumental in driving political change. It’s been just as influential in Jamaica as Christianity, and thanks to the Rasta influenced Reggae music of Bob Marley and other popular artists, it’s increasing in global influence.
Rastafari sounds like a fine faith, why is it so strange that a white person would want to be part of it? Bottom line is that it’s not. It may seem strange from the outside, seeing as the majority of Rastas are black. Many people would also argue that because it is an afro centric religion, white people have no place in it. Well, according to that logic, all Christians should be middle-eastern. The truth of the matter is that, in theory, even a White man could preach Afro centrism. While most white men weren’t physically “taken” from Africa, and forced into slavery, modern science fairly universally supports that all life started in Africa. Given the power of that statement, it isn’t hard to see how Africa found it’s place as the center of Rasta faith.
The question is though, In a faith which preaches the rejection of corrupt white culture, how are white patrons received? There seems to be conflict in the Rasta community. Many rastas are skeptical when they meet or hear of a white person who claims to be Rasta. They assume, naturally, that they came to Rasta through listening to reggae music, or worse, as a way of justifying their misuse of the sacrament. There also seems to be a fundamental distrust of white people, and historically for good reason. A true Rasta would say that all man is equal, and every body, white and black, came from Africa, so it is only natural that All people, regardless of race or color, turn to Rastafari for the “highest truth and overstanding”. However, the common sentiment among rastas is that whites cannot understand the “black struggle”, As they were never taken from their homeland and enslaved. But surely, anyone who really cares about the human race on the whole can appreciate the need to stop violent acts like this. After all, Rastafari itself teaches that all people are one with God, Or “Jah” as they say (Derived from jahweh of the old testament).
In modern Rastafari, especially more contemporary sects such as the Twelve Tribes, White rastas are welcomed. Anyone who believes that there needs to be a fundamental change in the way society treats the “down-pressed” and in the way man views and interacts with one another is encouraged to join the faith. Real rastas are peaceful people who overstand the need for equality in the world, and so they extend that principle even to the faith itself, All men are equal in Rastafari. Some Jamaican rastas are even excited to meet white rastas, as they bring a new point of view to the reasoning sessions, and also because they stand as a symbol of whites acknowledging the wrongs of their ancestors and rejecting “Babylon”.
All in all, white Rastafarians are out there, and they’re no less devoted to Rasta than the first Rastas of Jamaica. So next time you ask a white man his religion, and he tells you he is Rasta, don’t laugh, It may not be a joke.
http://www.jamaica-travel-vacation.com/white-rastafarians.html
im not rasta, but i have been interested in the religion and its beliefs. i have not been spiritual in any way with christianity because it was pushed on me so hard as a child. which i also think is wrong. but can someone help me in understanding rastafaris better? i’ve seen how peaceful they are and the love for life that they have. im irish/scandanavian and would like to “convert” to the new way of life.
Steven
Rastas are born not converted. They never die too!
A Rastaman is one, with a new concept of uncompromising love and compassion, for himself, his neighbour and all things created on earth by Jah Rastafari.
Rasta is all for one and one for all:
International hue-man brotherhood and sisterhood
One love, one God, one destiny!
You will keep current with Rastafari conceptions
through the music, through the poetry, the sacred books,
and through reasoning with the other idrens.
That is all Rasta is about…
Unconditional love for all;
Truths and rights!
DJ
I am a White Rasta woman and politician.
This is who I am.
I fight the corruption of Babylon at the front line.
I work to bring our people to the better place
Am I confusing the struggle?
Am I currupt?
I fight for love, for humanity for I and I.
We are not here to decide who does or does not belong in our religion only the eyes of Jah can predict such a thing. If we are true and we understand then we must acomidate eachother, we must not discourage eachother or we are at risk of becomming “the white man” even if we are the black man.
Blesss to all.
Take out the politics of the Rastafarian-“ism” and watch it thrive. Black, white, or brindle the motion is of the heart. if it would be let.
Sadly some Rasta don’t want it to thrive. Because they feel it’s to special to share.
10 years into the 21’st century brethren
WHAT? Here we go again infiltrate and take it over,then down. Rastas are against anything that is not ital. Anything that is not ital means not good for us both mentally,physically, and spiritually,and in our culture the last one i may add that is not from white minds,original from HUEMAN beings.Rasta is not a hat to change from day to day it is a belief stemmed from the Sufi culture because there is no such animal as religion.Happy all you whites feel a connection to the principles of this strictly natty dreadlock culture. But you in no sense of the word can call yourselves RASTA it is not that easy. And expect a real Rasta to take you serious. Whites have claimed to be every so-called religion since your arrival out of the caves of Europe. The ones you can’t be are the ones you seem to be attracted to. As we look back in your history anything you CAGOTS are exposed to you kill,or destroy the reason it was created in the first place,It becomes sick and worthless.
I have been RASTA for 20 years dreads to my knees,pineal gland functioning, natty dread-lock.Rasta is truth, not hype. Matty dreads is hair that is not clean, matted hair is dirty. To be true Rasta you must have a working pineal gland,not calcified, our hair work like antenne and catch the signal from our creator.I hate to be the bearer of bad news white people’s pineal gland doesn’t function.That’s what secretes melanin,melanin is what gives you spirituality or a connection to the universe. Melanin is what gives you color the more melanin your pineal secretes the darker you are. Your hair,antenne,must curl,hence dread locks, where your hair locks up tight in rings round not flat. Must match the curl pattern of DNA.That’s the spiritual connection our hair. Mentally we must be educated self of course,Babylon is a lier, now babylon, is the white race.Someone must be soft selling Rasta,Rasta hard core.Your race has never wanted to be anything associated with right reason.It seems to be mistaken for a peaceful non-religion. No baldhead can overstand and practice the Rastas do naturally if left alone.It’s more than stimulating our pineal it’s, communing with the creator or JAH, now Jah is in every rasta,and every rasta is Jah.Rasta is the great warriors,both male and female,who will rule this world once again.Seene.Now I&I is me and the creator,no difference.Brethren would never trust non-HUEMANS too much history between us,the sins of the fathers so to speak. I have been asked by some so-called whites could they be muslim my answer why? Because no whites practice it. So Rastafarianism can never be political in the sense, that’s Babylon and Rasta is against Babylon, wouldn’t that be against yourself.And everything CAGOTS put in place? Rastafari is not a game or to look different we are different,not to be imitated.I don’t think the slavemasters children can help the children of Jah out of anything,but back into slavery. Create another religion for yourselves, one where you don’t have to compromise with anyone. It’s time for revolution for us not peace. Third eyers are you woke yet? We don’t want to struggle any more it’s time for struggling of the Afrikan man and woman to be over, we don’t need any help overcomming our struggle once and for all.2012 brothers and sisters.Besides we Afrikans will be heading back home to Afrika, to start this thing over again, as this one is comming to a close. We do appreciate you wanting to be us once again, this journey is for life,not death.Anything the so-called white race touches it becomes corrupt.It’s Jah time rise you mighty race.
hi- im a mixed race guy, my roots are in Jamaica/India – France/scillian………… so, i feel and understand the message that you are saying. But life isnt in Black and white. so what if you are of mixed race? could you please tell me your thoughts on that subject Rastaman. I do not claim to be Rasta, But, i do reject this evil babylon system that we are in, i am a child of the mother earth, i belive in peace love and unity of all race’s of this world. No war, so , as i was saying, my gran came from Jamaica -Her maiden name was Palmer, which is a slave name (and our true African family name was lost many years ago, in the trade) so i may not be black ( im darker than a white man, but not as dark as a black man) , but i understand brother.When i read in to my history as a child, it really shocked and upset me to learn that humaity could do this, simply because of my ancestors colour, let me also remind you that the Great Bob Marley – had a white british father and his mother was Jamaican. The way i see it , its not about your shade of colour, its your mind ,soul and your heart , what you belive. I am far from being Babylon , but ZION is in my heart and blood. nothing will ever change that.
Anybody who talks in terms of black and white is uneducated. a bigot. And woefully lacking in spiritual enlightenment. No one cares what you think. Live your life, try to help others. Burn all negativity out of your soul.It takes great courage. If you cant do that. You will always be a poor human being and an even poorer Rastafarian.
Ummmm. Wow, this is awkward. The pineal gland secretes MELATONIN, a hormone that helps dictate sleep patterns. As a white person, I can assure you mine is working just fine. In all your years of studying, perhaps you should have picked up an anatomy book and verified this very basic tidbit of information, before misusing it in your racist, hate filled tirades. I am here seeking truth about Rastafari; I cannot claim to be Rasta at this point in
My journey, but even I KNOW that what you speak is blasphemous in the name of Jah. Africa and its children should always remain the heart of Rastafari, but as the world turns, and we are all faced with the choice to remain complacent and apathetic in our existence or reject Babylon, it seems to me that so too must Rastafari make room to accept all who come to know HIM, so we can take our places, side by side with the rest of Africa’s children. While you seek to separate us (whites) by labelling us CAGOTS and highlighting our European ancestry, you fail to acknowledge that Africa is the cradle of life, and in the end, we are all Africa’s children. This not intended to take away from the struggle of the black race; very real suffering has occured throughout history and is still happening today (it is evident that you must have experienced some yourself, based on the hate in your rhetoric). My point is that as a white person, I acknowledge this fact, know to my core that it is wrong, and have grown to a point where I know I must reject the white privilege I was born with and take a stand against Babylon. Can you honestly tell me that you do not welcome
this overstanding and pureness of heart solely because of the color of my skin. If you say yes, I will know it to be due to the hurt you’ve experienced in your life, and it will only serve as an affirmation of my faith that I am setting forth on a path towards justice and healing and evidence that there is much to be done. As it was in the beginning, so shall it be in the end; to me, this means rejoicing in unity after the fall of Babylon. I ask you, is there no room in Zion for your white brethren?
like Adam, I too have a strong ‘ feeling ‘connection with Rastafri – being Irish and with 400 years of uccupation I too can identify with oppression and dont forget that some of us Irish were taken as slaves to work in the plantations in Jamaica
You can’t be what you are not as much as you believe or try to believe that you are.. for instance, if you are a woman then you will never ever be a real man! Why do all theses fake dreadlock hair ginger so-called “rastas” even try? because they only stay true to one thing – smoking the herb! I am a spaniard.. forever will be! peace to you africans you are such superior race of people i’d agree! and you should be in charge of the planet so man wud’nt wish so much destruction and harm upon it’s surface…..