Black Paradise: The Rastafarian Movement PDF
Preview Black Paradise: The Rastafarian Movement
Black Political Studies, Number Five ISSN 0891-9631 Dlack paradise U The Rastafarian Movement Ll by Peter B. Clarke WITHA NEWBIBLIOGRAPHYON THERASTAFARIANS by Bonnie L, Petty BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARYir Black Political Studies ISSN0891-9631 Number Five LACK PARADISE TheRastqfarian Movement Ll by Peter B, Clarke With aNewBibliographyon theRastqfarians byBonnieL Petry REGINALD R. Tlie Borgo Press SanBernardino,California d MCMXCIV "^ Bf^fGHTOH The Borgo Press Publishers Since 1975 Post Office Box 2845 San Bernardino, CA 92406 United States of America Copyright® 1986by PeterB. Clarke Copyright• 1994byTheBorgo Press Allrights reserved. Nopartofthis bookmaybereproduced inany formwithouttheexpressedwrittenconsentofthepub- lisher. Printed intheUnitedStatesofAmericabyVan Volumes, Ltd. Coverdesignby HighpointType&Graphics. LibraryofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Clarke, PeterB. (PeterBernard) Black paradise : the Rastafarian movement / by Peter B.—Clarke ; with a newbibliographyontheRastafariansbyBonnieL. Petry. Rev.ed. p. cm. (Blackpoliticalstudies, ISSN0891-9631 ; no. 5) Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex. - ISBN0-8095-8008-X(cloth). ISBN0-8095-8005-5 (pbk.) 1. Ras Tafari movement. 2. Ras Tafari movement—Great Briuin. 3. GreatBriuin—Religion—20thcentury. I.Title. II.Series. BL2532.R37C57 1994 93-32884 299'.67-dc20 CIP REVISED EDITION, SECOND PRINTING . CONTENTS Introduction: TheRastafarian Movement 11 1 The African Diaspora 17 2. TheBack-to-AfricaMovement and the RiseofEthiopianism 27 3. Marcus Garvey: Black Moses and Prophet ofthe God of Ethiopia 36 4. Babylon: The Riseand Developmentofthe Rastafarian Movement 45 5. Beliefs 63 6. Rastafarian Lifestyle and Rituals 79 7. From Self-Awareness to theBrotherhood ofMan 95 Notes 101 A Bibliography on theRastafarians, by Bonnie L. Petry 109 Index 122 Acknowledgements Iwishtothankallthosewhomadethisbookpossible,especiallythose Rastasbothblackandwhitewhoansweredmymanyquestionsand gave me theirtime and hospitality. IwouldalsoliketothankMichaelCox, EditorialDirectorofThe AquarianPress,forhispatienceandassistance.MrsElsieHinkes,who typed thismanuscript, alsodeservesmyspeicalthanksforherhelp and kindness. Noneofthosewhoassistedme, ofcourse, istobeblamedforany erroroffactorinterpretation, which are entirelymyown. PeterB. Clarke CentreforNewReligious Movements King'sCollege, London Introduction The Rastafarian Movement and New Religions in Britain The Rastafarian movement is but one ofthe estimated 500 'new' religionstohaveemergedinBritainsince1945 Someofthesereligions . are 'new' onlyin thechronologicalsensethatin theBritishcontext theyareapost-WorldWarIIphenomenon. Consideredfromanother historicalperspectiveandfromacultural—andtheologicalstandpoint, whatarereferredtohereasnewreligions forexampleHareKrishna and/or ISKCON (The International Society for Krishna — Consciousness) mightwellbeconsideredatthelevelsofdoctrine ' and ritual as authentic developments oflong established religious traditions. ThenewreligionsinBritainderivefrommanydifferentcultures andcanvaryenormouslyintermsoftheologicalcontent,ritual,social composition, structureandorganization, methodsofrecruitment, aims, attitudes towards other religions both 'new' and 'old', and towardsthewidersociety.Thismakesitextremelydifficulttogeneralize inanymeaningfulwayaboutthese 'new* religions. Neverthelessin thecaseofalargenumbertherearecertainstrikingsimilarities.Almost all of them, including the Rastafarian movement, are millenial movementsprophesying in theirdifferentwaystheimminent end ofthepresentageandtheestablishmentofatotallynewdispensation. Detailsaboutpreciselywhenandexacdyhowtheendwillcomeabout and the form the new order will take differ from movement to movement.FortheRastafariansthepresentorderwillberazedtothe ground in apocalyptic fashion around the year 2000 and then will follow,afterthejudgementofBabylon,oppressorofblackpeople(see Chapter4,pp.45ff),amilleniumofpeace.Justice,contentment,and happinessinEthiopia,symbolofAfrica,the 'landwithoutEvil'(see Chapter 5, pp. 63ff). Another characteristic that many ofthe new religions have in common is their emphasis on the need for knowledge leading to n ' BLACKPARADISE ccnitudc, notsimplefaith. Beliefin *God', understoodinavariety ofdifferentways, isseenasinferiortoknowledgeorcertitude. Ifone cancome toknow *God' with absolutecertitude, thenwhystopat thelevelofbelief, isthequestionposedbymanynewreligions. Like membersofothernewreligions, theRasta 'knows'Jah(God). Here 'knowing' isnot,ofcourse, therationalapproachtounderstanding ofthephilosopherbutsomethingmoreakintointuitiveknowledge (see Chapter 5, pp. 63-4). Moreover the aim is not only to know 'God* but even more importantly to become 'God'. As the founder of the Rajneesh movementstates: 'Thereal...istobecomeGodnottoknowGod.'^ Onecan become 'God' whenone 'knows', whenone isfullyaware thatone'sinnerselfisdivine.Thisisthebasisofmuchofthetheorizing aboutknowledgeandcertitudefoundinthenewreligions.Inthecase oftheRasta, 'Jah'istheGodwithinwhocanbelocatedanddiscovered bydescendingintotheinnermostrecessesofone'sbeing(seeChapter 5, pp. 64-6). Divinizingtheselfisalsoawayofprotectingone'spersonalidentity andthatofthegrouporracetowhichonebelongsfromsocial,cultural, politicalandotherforcesthatareseenasthreatening,evendestructive. Itcanalsobeameans, asinthecaseoftheRastas, ofre-establishing one's identitywhere thisisperceived tohave been undermined by economicexploitationandtheacculturationandotherdemandsof the hostsociety, dominantgroup, orcolonizingpower. Seekingthedivinewithintheselfis,moreover,anattempttoerect abastionagainsttheuncertaintyandinsecurityexperiencedthrough relying on impersonal, fragile institutions, systems and structures whose legitimacy is often questioned and whose durability is frequentlyputindoubt byeconomicfactorsbeyondthecontrolof any one individual, group, or country. In order to transcend the uncertaintyandinsecurityofthemodernworldanditsinstitutions onwhichtheyhavecometorelysomehavedecidedtosearchwithin themselvesforsecurity,stability,andthestrengthandenergytocope with doubt anduncertainty. Reliance,then,onsystems,institutions,andstructuresforsupport andsecurityweakens, debilitates,frustrates, andresultsinpassivity and the inabilityto doforoneself, to becreative. TheRastafarians themselves 'know' thisfrom thehistoryofthe blackrace, achosen race with a glorious past, that was to suffer the indignity and humiliationoftheslavetrade becauseithadceasedtodoforitself and had come to rely on slaves. Africans undermined their own independenceandlosttheircreativeabilitythroughovcrdependence onothers.Thisisnottheirownfullaccount,noranhistoricallyaccurate 12 INTRODUCTION andobjectiveexplanationforthetransatlanticslavetrade(seeChapter 1,p. 18);butitdoesmakethepointthatRastas,alongwithmanyother adherentsofnewreligionsandseekers,seetheselfasdivinizedrather thansystems,institutionsandstructuresasthesourceofsecurityand creativity. Inmanycasesthisjourneyinwardstothedivine,innerselfisbound up not only with questions ofsecurity and creativity but also, as indicated, with the question of identity. The Rastas feel that, as individualsandasarace, thereal, trueidentityofblackpeoplehas beendestroyed.Wrenchedfromtheirhomelandand'natural',normal waysoflife, treatedassub-humanduringtheeraoftheslavetrade, and 'indoctrinated' withwesternvaluesandnotionsand imagesof 'God', they must now restore their true identity by a process of deconversionandreconstruaion.Theymustridthemselvesofanyidea orfeelingofinferiorityanddecolonizetheirminds. Thisexplainsin pantheemphasisonthedivineinnernatureoftheself,theenthusiasm forall things African, and the glorification ofthe African past. Moreover, likemanyothersecond-generationmembersofethnic groups, Rastas, it would seem, are engaged on the one hand in an attempttorevitalizeandpreserveanold identityandon theother toforgeanewone.Inordertodothistheyhavecreatedbytheirrituals, language, dress, dreadlocks, and general lifestyle a sharp sense of boundarybetweenthemselvesandothers.Noemptysymbol,thetam (head-dress)ingreen,red, black,andyellowmeansallegiancetoand identification with Ethiopia, symbol ofan uncolonized, free and independentAfrica,andalongandglorioushistoryandcivilization (seeChapters2,3,and6). Suchallegianceissomethingtobeproud ofafterthehumiliationanddegradationofslaveryandcolonization and in a society where the sense of exile is often sharpened by discrimination. ItisperhapsthecasethatRastalanguage,ritual,andlifestylehave becomeforsomeabarricadebehindwhichtheyhaveretiredalittle tooeffortlessly.However,assomeseethesituationitwasonlythrough thesemeansthat theycould restore theirmemoryofthemselvesas a people and their African identity, the alternative being no meaningful history, purpose, or identity. Through their rituals, lifestyle,andmusicRastashavebroughttheirversionofwhatitmeans to be African right down into theirhomes and on to the streetsof London, Paris, New\brk, andothermajorwesterncities. Rastafiirianbeliefs,rituals,andlifestylehavehelpedtoprovidemany peopleofAfricandescentwithadeepersenseoftheirAfricanidentity. They have created a home away from home and at the same time provided some with protection from the adverse emotional and 13 BLACKPARADISE psychologicaleffectsofalienation^ (seeChapter7). Otherreligious traditionshaveservedthesameends,forexampleRomanCatholicism in the context ofIrish immigration to the United States, and the Ukranian Church in Canada.* In theUnited States, asinBritain, othermovementssuchasthe BlackMuslimmovementhavecertainsimilaritiesintermsofmethods and aimswith theRastafarianmovement;^ andwhile inonesense allofthesemovementsmayappeartooperateagainstthedevelopment ofapluralist,multi-culturalsociety,theymayovertimenonetheless make a positive contribution to the building ofsuch a society by providingpeoplewiththespacetoestablishtheirownidentityand on that basis interact purposefully and meaningfully with others. Thesemovementsallowpeopletostandoutsidethe boundariesof thewidersociety,toremainatonelevelunassimilatedandinaposition todefinewhotheyareratherthansimplyhavingtoacceptadefinition ofthemselveswhichothersimposeuponthem. Thiswouldseemto beanecessarypreconditionfortheemergenceofagenuinelypluralist society. Whileits—influencehasbeenmuchgreaterthanitssizewould—appear towarrant thereareanestimated 5,000Rastasin Britain itis worthpointingoutthattheRastaferianmovementdo—esnotnecessarily represent —or cater for the hopes and aspirations religious and otherwise ofallblackpeopleinBritain,oreveninJamaicawhere it was founded. It is but one ofthe many black inspired religious movementsinBritain,someofwhichareundoubtedlysympathetic tocertainatleastofthepracticesandaimsoftheRastafarianmovement. Black Churches in Britain. There are numerous black religious organizationsincontemporaryBritain, someofwhichareinparta responsetorejectionanddiscrimination.^ Blackchurches,however, arcnotsimplytheproductofnegativeforcessuchasthesebutarealso theoutcomeofAfricaninsight, understanding, andinterpretation oftheBible, andoftheconvictionthattobebothmeaningfuland universaltheChristianfaithhastobeexpressedinthesymbols,rituals, andlanguageofallpeoplesandcultures, includingthoseofAfrica and the Caribbean. WhilethereissomeevidenceoftheexistenceofaBlackChurch inBritainintheearlyyearsofthiscentury,' thedevelopmentofsuch Churches, on alargescaledatesfrom 1952. Sincethenalmost 200 churchesofAfricanandCaribbeanoriginhavebeenestablishedin Britainandareattendedbyapproximately20percentoftheAfro- Caribbean population.* Black people also attend other Christian churches; including Anglican, Roman Catholic, and United Reformed,butmanytendtoshunthesemoreestablishedinstitutions, 14
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