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
Greetings, For dont disrepect ours ancestors we cant give the men and women a sacred name just because, they love his majesty….That’s good and that’s proove, His Majesty was Almighty Creator.They have jews whites and others religions to accept every body why dont practice it. OK the problem with Rastafari Livity alterate when we choose glorify the men…and some Jamaicains illeterate bedren make compromise (money, politicals partys, guns, drogues, women/prostitutes) and with ours ennemies for earn some avantages and they turnback to the ROOTS and now we have open the door to the devil….Because i finish to read a book from Armand Nicolas the “story of Slavery in Martinique” and in this book they discribe how the slave master treatment are for the young girls (9 years or 11 years old) they give them excrements or make too much bad things on them, if they dont want obey..why at this time the white men and women to know Jah, dont make nothing. and stop that …it’s a form of disrespect again and it’s like that..they dont respect nothing…For me they are just the sympathisants….Because i have visited Jamaica the first time t his year and i am very very sad….the situation are too bad, i support a elder and i dont see any actions to be done regularly by the people to be concern in this post…Rasta can be associatied with white man and woman be careful they cant love His Majesty that’s all, because Jah his the master and all nations serve it’s a prophecy….Jah make them down and they cant said no….Dont worry true bedren and sistren they cant wrong the Almighty they need to follow what they choose to do…Seen
If any colored peoples trace the history of their people they will find slave stories,Truths, of how the whites have done people of color,, since people of color first laid eyes on them.No CAGOTS can be anything spiritual,fake rasta either,nor homosexuals.When I visited Jamaica,some of the gays tried to have a march in support of Jamaican gay rights. The rastaman came out of the hills with machetes,sticks,whatever and said if one gay marched they would be killed,on the news it was reported not one showed up to march. Rastaman was serious bout that boddy boy business.Real Rasta that is,is serious bout the raising of the dead, so to speak.All things are being dictated by a Cagot Society.So why wouldn’t the mutant albinos think they can be rastas,they see it in the superficial realm,not with carbon based pineal,the calcified one.They want to embark on a spiritual journey with no map,and certainly no destination with a third eye blind.Real rasta know when we say Jah we’re not talking about a man,we’re talking bout self. JAH Me still say war.War for a spiritual way,all natural. I & I will see us through.
How can you hold I responsible for actions of I ancestors?
should I hold all black men accountable for murder, rape, and other crimes against humanity?
Until all truly come together as brothers and sisters there will be hate in our souls.
By discriminating against I and I you just become the ones you despise
I say again ONLY JAH CREATOR CAN JUDGE
It means nothing that you so called “true” rastafari say that I not rasta
this has nothing to do with herb, it has to do with life!
peace be with us all
“No one should question the faith of others, for no human being can judge the ways of God.” – H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I
“No one should question the faith of others, for no human being can judge the ways of God.” – H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I
“we also know that unity can be and has been attained among men of the most disparate origins, that differences of race, of religion, of culture, of tradition, are no insuperable obstacles to the coming together of peoples. History teaches us that unity is strength and cautions us to submerge and overcome our differences in the quest for common goals, to strive with all our combined strength, for the path to true African brotherhood and unity.” – H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I Statement to the 1963 African Summit
I & I never included anything of no color why should I. And once again no CAGOT can be Rasta. True Rastas is of the moorish nature.The real & true I should say ,be the original no CAGOT is real. Leprosy is not of the creator,this disease makes you exempt,CURSED,NOT OF THE HUEMAN RASTA FAMILY YOU AIN’T NO BROTHER OR SISTER OF MINE.Try Monkey or Neaderthal family,only HUEMAN is Rasta you’d be better off just on the Ganja tip,for wanting to be something you know can feel. Him that feels it knows it.How can my enemy feel me,feel me?The sins of the father will be taken out on the children,of that accursed race,of so-called whites.Somebody got to pay for all that misery at the hands of mutant albinos against the children of the true creator, not your fairy tale ones. We know we can never be anything with Satans children,has not our history with you proved this,it has to the HUEMANS. Me say war third eyers. 2012 ass kicking time.We want all our land back from where your thieving ancestors stole,and we not asking.You must be not overstanding Black Women & Man is JAH,we have the right to judge,did not you judged us first with malice in your heart for the true that is in all men & WOMEN of color.All HUEMANS are in this spot because of a dupey conquerer.Dupe is the game of the mutant albinos full of jealously for the only children of the creator mama,so-called whites exclude the mother & worship the father,we have a mother who gave us life and a father.From them the first people we have our power,passed down from generation to generation.Don’t remember white mutant albinos in our family.Any distrust of so-called whites has been gained through time,and in 500+ years we see no change a dupe yes, change no.
I & I build a cabin ,I&I Plant the corn.Didn’t my people before me slave for this country.Now you look me with that scorn and you eat up all my corn, we gonna chase those crazy baldheads out of our town. BOB MARLEY
melodymaat8, i Respect your opinion.
i cant know how i would feel if i were you
i cant know how i would feel if i were black
but i know how i feel now, i cant take back the actions of my ancestors
the past cannot be changed, but the future can
no Rastafari should live with hate in their hearts
Thank you Don Jaide for posting words of wisdom
I RESPECT I ETERNALLY