Rastafarianism is a religious and social movement that was created in Jamaica in 1930. For the Jamaicans who live in poverty and struggle for human rights and freedom from oppression, the movement of Rastafarianism is both a religion and a way of life.

Rastafarianism is a religious and social movement that was created in Jamaica in 1930. For the Jamaicans who live in poverty and struggle for human rights and freedom from oppression, the movement of Rastafarianism is both a religion and a way of life. The Rastafarian religious and political movement has many beliefs and traditions unique from the rest of Jamaican society, and has a very broad religious and social impact on the world. The unique aspects of Rastafarianism are the; worshipped god, use of symbols, studied texts promoting self-empowerment and brotherhood, spoken language, and expressions of faith. The origins and historical roots of Rastafarianism will be examined first.

For one to understand Rastafarianism and its impact on revolutionary movements, it is essential to explore its origins and historical roots. The basis of Rastafari lies in, the Nile Valley, which is a huge region that includes, Egypt in the North and Ethiopia in the South. The philosophy at the heart of Rastafari is collected from the soul of this part of Africa. For instance, it depicts Ra, who is honored by the Egyptians as the god of the sun, as a life-giving force, and accepts that mankind has no similarities or differences from God, or Jah (Jehovah). Rastafarianism can be considered, as an “outgrowth of the colonial and post-colonial experiences associated with plantation society in Jamaica,” according to Jack A. Johnson-Hill in his 1995 sociological study of the movement. Fundamentally, the movement began with the teachings of Jamaican Black nationalist, and founder of the religion, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, born in 1887, who had said in the 1920s, ""Look to Africa when a black king shall be crowned, for the day of deliverance is at hand", which Rastafarians then took as an insight about the crowing of, Haile Selassie. In the 1930’s, Garvey then spoke of a message of Black self-empowerment and started the, "Back to Africa" movement. He had conveyed the philosophical ideologies that eventually grew into the Rastafarian movement. He predicted that in the future, an African king would arrive and carry out the redemption of his people. Then, on November 2, 1930, Ras Tafari, more commonly referred to as, Haile Selassie, was crowned king of Ethiopia. Ethiopia was viewed as the Promised Land, and Selassie declared to be called, king of kings, lord of lords, and conquering lion of the Tribe of Judah. Rastafarians believe that Haile Selassie is the Black Messiah who emerged in the flesh for the redemption of all Blacks deported in the world of white tyrants. The Rasta dream is that Haile Selassie will announce the Day of Judgment, when the righteous shall return home to Mount , in Africa, to live forever in peace, love and harmony.

This is a preview of the whole essay

There are many fundamental principals of the Rastafarian religion. A primary symbol of the Rastafari religion is the Lion of Judah, which represents, H.H Hailie Sellasie, Jah, the courage and heroism needed in the fight against Babylon, the System, and the African roots of mankind. It is an emblem of Ras Tafari, or, Haile Selassie, the Conqueror. When he was crowned king in 1930, he took the title, “King of Kings, Lord of Lords, conquering Lion of the tribe of Judah.” The lion symbolizes Selassie as the, "King of Kings," saying that the lion is King. As well, the emblem was once worn by the Emperor as a signet, and it is the symbol of the Ethiopian monarchy and frequently carries the flag of Ethiopia and wears the imperial crown. To the general public, the symbol of the lion represents strength, knowledge, and aggression. Another symbol is the Rastafarians colours. These are red, gold, and green. Red represents the Church Triumphant, which is the church of the Rasta, and it also signifies the bloodshed of the martyrs in the history of the Rastas. The yellow symbolizes the wealth of Ethiopia, and green represents the beauty and vegetation of Zion, or in other words, the Promised Land (Ethiopia). Sometimes black is used to represent the colour of Africans, from whom 98% of the Jamaicans are descended. The true foundation of Rastafari is, The Holy Piby, or “The Black Man’s Bible.” It was assembled by a man named, Robert Athlyi Rogers of Anuilla from 1913 to 1917. Rev. Charles F. Goodridge discovered the secret Bible in Colon, Panama, but a large part of it was printed in Newark, New Jersey by other believers, and then copies of the Piby were shipped to Kimberly, South Africa. From there, missionaries of black supremacy, began a church for the diamond-filed workers called, the Afro-Athlican Constructive Church. Later on, Goodridge became allied with a woman named, Grace Jenkins Garrison, and together they brought the doctrine of the Holy Piby to Jamaica in 1925 and established a branch of the AACC under the name Hamatic Church. After a meeting with the Fundamentalist, Revivalist and conservative Christian church leaders regarding their devotion to the occult Bible, Goodridge and Garrison departed to St. Thomas, Jamaica, and that was where Rastafarianism began. Essentially, Rastafarians see the Bible as an explanation of the Black race and African history, the true children of Israel Isaiah predicted. The Kebra Nagast is one of the crucial texts for the Rastafarians. The history of this text, otherwise known as Glory of The Kings, had a huge impact on the identity for the Ethiopians and Rastafarian people. It has been around for at least seven hundred years, and is worshiped by many and . It contains the correct history of the origin of the of kings in , and it is seen as the top authority on the history of the conversion of the Ethiopians from the worship of the sun, moon, and stars to that of the, “Lord God of Israel". Another essential in the Rastafarian religion is their speech. This social feature of communication has been greatly impacted by "Rasta" talk. A few terms include: Irie, I-Man, I and I, Ital, One-Love, Babylon (the Police and the Establishment) Baldheads (non Rastas), and many more. "I" symbolizes a primary notion in the faith, and the individual's personality.

Reggae music plays a big role in the Rastafarian religion. It began among the poor Blacks in, Trenchtown, Kingston, Jamaica. After listening to American radio stations, Rasta musicians eventually mixed traditional Jamaican folk music, American R&B, and jazz into , under the influence of soul, which later evolved into reggae. However, many Rastas were jailed for using marijuana, which led to the captivity and harassment to reggae music, the ghetto, police cruelty, suffering, hunger and poverty. Bob Marley urbanized his music of protest, and his album, Exodus was voted by Time Magazine and the BBC as the album of the Century. Dreadlocks, which became popular due to Bob Marley and other reggae musicians developed into a fashion statement chiefly with young people, who adopt the style without really being a Rasta. This hairstyle has also come to symbolize the and rebellion against “Babylon,” the white patriarchy that has been tyrannizing the black race for centuries through economic and physical slavery. However, society sees it as a negative characteristic. In the , some public schools and workplaces have lost court cases in the banning of dreadlocks. Aside form this, true Rastas believe that dreadlocks were supported by 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." It was also believed that the first dreadlocks were duplicated from Kenya, where freedom fighters during the independence struggle grew their dreadlocks while hiding in the mountains. Dreadlocks are a loyalty to the holy way of living and a symbol that the longer the Dreads, the more holy the Rasta. They also wear dreads to portray their natural way of living. One Rasta says, "I could not create a strand of hair, how could I destroy it." Another reason Rasta’s wear dreads are because the Romans tried to cut the Rastas hairs have short hair themselves. As well, King Selassie had a beard and locks, so the Rastas look at themselves as similar to their emperor as possible. The official symbol of Ethiopia is a standing Lion. The lion has long hair on his mane, which is often compared to the locks on a Rastas head. Another reaosnreadlocks can be classified as "high tension wires" that provide divine energy and inspiration from Jah. Dreadlocks also symbolize, the and riot against Babylon. This natural hairstyle is also seen in the Rastafarian religion as a way of experiencing a spiritual journey. It is acknowledged that patience is the solution to growing dreadlocks, a journey of the mind, soul and spirituality. The Rastafarian’s use of ganja, (marijuana) in their rituals, is one of the several aspects which give it a negative image in society. It is a Rasta’s source of knowledge and intelligence, as well a sacrament. Most Rastafarian teachers support the sacramental smoking of, “wisdomweed.” It is done for religious reasons or to assist in meditation. The marijuana is very general among Rastas. They do not only use it for their spiritual reason, but also in the, Nyabingi celebration and for medical purposes. Rasafarians believe that Jah provided the herb for a reason, and also that it is a gift from him. A few Biblical texts in which the Rastas live by, include, "... thou shalt eat the herb of the field." (Genesis 3:18) "... eat every herb of the land." (Exodus 10:12) "Better is a dinner of herb where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred there with." (Proverbs 15:17) "He causeth the grass for the cattle, and herb for the service of man." (Psalms 104:14). However, the Ganja has much more than a simple biblical reference for the Rastas. It has become "a reactionary device to the society and an index of an authentic form of freedom from the establishment." Ganja is also used as a protest against society. Smoking the herb was the first form of protest engaged in by the Rastafarian movement to show its freedom from the commandments of Babylon.

The ethics of the Rastafarian movement and its strong focus on human rights and the brotherhood of mankind tend to apply to a variety of races of people who all have different beliefs and spreading among many areas of the world. “The Rastafarian movement is no longer a mere revolutionary movement; it has become a part of the establishment, a part of officialdom.” We looked at the unique aspects of the Rastafarianism religion: The Emporer of Ethopia, Haile Selassie, who is greatly worshiped by Rastafarianism as God, the Lion of Judah and the Rastafarian colours, green, red and gold, the studied texts which are, the Holy Piby, and the Kebra Nagast, the spoken language, the contribution of reggae music and the expressions of dreadlocks and marijuana. Thus, the Rastafarian movement is a religious and political movement has many beliefs and traditions unique from the rest of Jamaican society, and indeed has a broad religious and social impact on the world.